The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office has initiated a criminal case against the leader of the Wagner terrorist group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on suspicion of organizing an armed coup.
The Prosecutor General’s Office of the Russian Federation states that “his actions will be duly assessed” under Article 279 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, “for the organization of an armed coup.”
If Prigozhin’s guilt is proven in Russia, he faces a sentence of 12 to 20 years in prison.
The FSB has stated that the information spread on social media in Prigozhin’s name, claiming that the Russian Ministry of Defense carried out missile and bomb strikes on the rear units of “Wagner,” “does not correspond to reality and is an information provocation.”
Previously known: On the evening of June 23, 2023, the leader of the Russian terrorist organization Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed that the base of Wagner mercenaries was allegedly struck by regular Russian armed forces under the orders of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The Russian Ministry of Defense denies these allegations. Prigozhin addressed the Russian army, urging them to “not resist” and threatened immediate destruction if they did. Military vehicles were deployed on the streets of certain Russian cities near Ukraine and Wagner bases.
The FSB stated that Prigozhin’s statements and actions “effectively amount to incitement to start an armed civil conflict within Russian territory and are a betrayal of Russian servicemen.”
In the occupiers’ department, they called on Wagner PMC fighters not to carry out criminal orders from Prigozhin and to take measures to apprehend him.”
The Russian resource Fontanka, without citing sources, reported that on June 23, from 18:00 to 19:00, Prigozhin allegedly was in St. Petersburg.
The conflict and rivalry between Prigozhin and the Russian Ministry of Defense have been going on for months, intensifying particularly during the battles for Bakhmut. On the night of May 5, 2023, Prigozhin had a tantrum on camera amidst dozens of dead occupiers, hurling insults at the Russian military command.