The challenge to Vladimir Putin by the mercenaries of the Wagner group, led by Evgeni Prigozhin, has reached the proportions of an “all-out military confrontation” and represents “the biggest challenge to the Russian state in recent times”, according to the latest report from the Russian security services. British Ministry of Defense (MoD) intelligence.
“We are watching the situation very closely and seeing how it evolves on the ground,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the BBC on Saturday. “We are in contact with our allies and holding talks with each other. The most important thing is that the parties involved are responsible and protect the civilian population.”
“In the next few hours, the loyalty (to Putin) of the security forces, and especially of the Russian National Guard, will be the key to knowing how this crisis develops,” could be read in the last dispatch from London, in action coordinated with Washington to partially make its intelligence reports public.
“In an operation called by Prigozhin as the march for freedom, the forces of the Wagner Group crossed from the occupied territory in Ukraine to Russia in at least two locations,” could be read in the information released by the MoD on Twitter.
Rishi Sunak convened an emergency Cobra cabinet on Saturday afternoon to analyze the crisis created by the mercenaries of the Wagner group, after holding telephone conversations with presidents Biden and Macron and with Chancellor Scholz. “The leaders have agreed to maintain close contact in the coming days,” a Downing Street spokesman said. The “premier” was also in contact with President Zelenksi, who updated him on the latest advances in the counteroffensive in the south and east of the country.
The British sources assured that the troops of the Wagner Group occupied most of the strategic points in Rostov, including the headquarters of the Russian army from which they direct and supervise operations in Ukraine.
British Intelligence reports certify the advance of Prigozhin’s mercenaries through the Vorenezh oblast, “with the almost total certainty that their objective is to reach Moscow.”
Despite describing the situation as a “total military confrontation”, the MoD stresses that there is very little evidence of possible combat with Russian soldiers, “who have mostly reacted passively and consenting to the Wagner Group”.
The MoD reports provoked an enthusiastic reaction among British politicians. “This is a huge opportunity for Ukraine to exploit the ongoing mutiny and chaos that has ensues in Russia,” said Tobias Ellwood, Conservative MP and Chairman of the Parliament’s Defense Committee.
The BBC confirmed, on the other hand, “with a high degree of reliability” the alleged meeting held in the south of the country between Prigozhin and the Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. The images of the meeting were broadcast by a channel on Telegram and verified by British public television using biometric facial recognition techniques.
All European countries are on alert. Especially those closest to the Ukrainian powder keg. The Polish president, Andrzej Duda, has held consultations with the allies, as well as with the prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki: “Our eastern border is being continuously monitored,” said the Polish president, through his Twitter account .
The high representative of the foreign policy of the EU, Josep Borrell, has reported that the foreign ministers of the G-7 (USA, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan) have maintained a collective call in the who took part this morning to analyze the situation in Russia.
Washington is following the Wagner rebellion very “closely.”
French President Emmanuel Macron is also closely monitoring the situation. “The president is closely monitoring the situation. We remain focused on supporting Ukraine,” the French Presidency stated. A spokesman for the German government, asked by Afp, spoke along the same lines.
The governments of Finland and Sweden today expressed their concern about the situation in Russia, reported Efe. “We are closely following the development of the situation,” Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Twitter. “The situation is serious,” said the Swedish Foreign Minister, Tobias Billström, also through that social network.
Latvia is considering adopting “additional security measures,” reported the country’s Foreign Minister and designated president, Edgars Rinkevics, through his Twitter account.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
