WASHINGTON – Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin planned to capture the Russian military’s top officials during his attempted coup over the weekend – which may have happened had Moscow not learned of the alleged plot ahead of time.
Prigozhin, who directed his mercenary group to march from Ukraine into Russia on Saturday, sought to abduct Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov during their planned visit to a region near the Ukraine border, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Two days before the visit was to occur, Russia’s Federal Security Service discovered Prigozhin’s plot. Russian National Guard Chief Viktor Zolotov said Tuesday there had been “information leaks” from “Prigozhin’s camp” about the plot, according to state-run media.
“[The intelligence was] rather specific about the fact that a mutiny is being planned, and that it would take place between June 22 and 25, which is exactly what happened,” Zolotov told Russia’s TASS news agency, adding that “Western intelligence services” also learned of the plot before it could be carried out.
Had Prigozhin’s plan not leaked, Western officials told the Journal, it would have had a “good chance of success.”
With the Russian authorities on him, Prigozhin moved to his backup plan of the mutinous march, sending a few thousand Wagner fighters toward Moscow, but stopping them about 120 miles south of the capital.
The Journal report emerged one day after American intelligence officials told the New York Times they were looking into whether Russian aerospace force commander Gen. Sergei Surovikin was also in on Prigozhin’s plot. Surovikin had served as Russia’s senior general in Ukraine for three months before Gerasimov replaced him in January.
While Prigozhin failed to oust Russia’s top military leaders, his mercenaries captured the southern city of Rostov – home to a key military command site – with little resistance during the 36-hour campaign, which defense analysts said may indicate that some high-ranking military officials were indeed in on the plan.
Prigozhin commanded the remainder of the march toward Moscow from Rostov, until Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on an arrangement presented by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to take Prigozhin and any of his mercenaries to his country.
It is unclear whether Prigozhin is commanding what remains of the Wagner Group from Belarus, but Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said Tuesday that the US believes some Wagner mercenaries are still in Ukraine.
“We are aware of Wagner troops being inside Ukraine, but in terms of their specific disposition and whether they may or may not be moving, I’m not going to speculate on that,” he said.
Ryder also said he did not know if the remaining Wagnerites in Ukraine plan to continue fighting Kyiv’s forces.
“Obviously Wagner Group has already inflicted enough damage inside Ukraine. I think that’s well known, and just take a look at Bakhmut,” he added, referencing the Ukrainian city largely destroyed in battle.
It’s also unknown whether Prigozhin is even alive, though he released a 12-minute audio clip Monday claiming he never intended to overthrow the Russian government. Ryder declined to “provide a status update” when asked by a reporter whether “we are in a ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ scenario right now.'”
“I have many responsibilities but press secretary for Mr. Prigozhin is not one,” Ryder said, “so I really can’t comment on his current status.”