Former Brigadier General Anthony Tata provided insights on Fox News regarding the Wagner Group's sudden retreat and the key figures involved. Reports indicate that U.S. intelligence agencies were aware of Yevgeniy Prigozhin's planned "armed action" against the Russian government as early as mid-June. The Washington Post revealed that Prigozhin even alerted the White House and other U.S. agencies to avoid any surprises.
According to the report, top officials at the Pentagon, State Department, and Congress received briefings on the intelligence within the last two weeks. However, the precise timing of Prigozhin's plan remained uncertain until the Wagner leader seized military control and advanced towards Moscow.
Washington reportedly expressed significant concern about the potential consequences for Russia's nuclear arsenal if Putin were removed from power and the possibility of civil war erupting within Russia.
Known as "Putin's chef" due to his catering business ties with the Kremlin, Prigozhin openly challenged the Russian Defense Ministry's June 10th order mandating that all volunteer units sign contracts with the government. He saw this directive as an attempt to absorb his Wagner mercenary troops, who played a crucial tactical role in Putin's Ukrainian campaign. A high-ranking Ukrainian official informed the Post that their military had been observing Prigozhin since the June 10th announcement, growing increasingly convinced that he might mobilize forces against Moscow. However, this official claimed no knowledge of the U.S. sharing similar intelligence with Kyiv.
A senior Biden administration official, speaking to the Post without commenting on U.S. intelligence, acknowledged the well-known tensions between the Wagner Group and the Russian Ministry of Defense, highlighting Prigozhin's public criticism and threats towards the Russian military.
The Post reported that Prigozhin accused Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu of ordering an attack on his mercenaries and called for an end to Shoigu's leadership.
Even as his forces rapidly advanced towards Moscow, Prigozhin refrained from directly criticizing Putin, instead focusing his blame on the Russian defense establishment, which he condemned as corrupt and incompetent, claiming they had undermined his troops fighting in Ukraine.
After reportedly coming within 120 miles of Moscow, Prigozhin unexpectedly retreated. A Kremlin announcement indicated an agreement for Prigozhin to relocate to Belarus. However, it remains uncertain if he is actually there and whether his fighters will follow him, either out of loyalty or due to dissatisfaction with being integrated into the Russian military as contract soldiers.
The deal, allegedly brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close Putin ally, strips Prigozhin of his command over Wagner. The future of the Wagner Group and its soldiers remains uncertain.
