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Many Ukrainians were awake on Friday night, glued to their mobile devices, after the head of the Wagner mercenary group declared war against his rivals in the Russian military, causing unprecedented political turmoil in Moscow.
The Ukrainian President’s key advisor, Mykhailo Podolyak said, “Events are developing according to the scenario we talked about all last year. The start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive finally destabilized the Russian elites, intensifying the internal split that arose after the defeat in Ukraine. Today we are actually witnessing the beginning of a civil war.” This news awoke hope as the Ukrainian people had long hoped for internal instability within Russia due to the conflict.
In the early hours of Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin responded with a statement accusing Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, of “treason” after the warlord launched an uprising against Russia’s army.
This came after Prigozhin claimed that a Russian rocket attack had killed scores of his fighters, and made a promise to “take revenge” and to “stop the evil brought by the military leadership of the country”. Audio clips of this statement were released late on Friday.
Many Ukrainians initially doubted news of the situation in Russia until they viewed footage online, which appeared to show Wagner troops with tanks and armored vehicles surrounding government buildings in the Russian city of Rostov where Prigozhin claimed to have taken over an army base. The situation in Russia continues to be unstable.
Andriy Yusov, the spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence, said that Wagner’s actions in Russia were a “continuation of intra-Russian conflicts” that are a result of the military aggression against Ukraine. “This is a sign of the collapse of the ruling regime, and such processes will intensify,” he added.
While Putin is worried about his back, many speculate that the Russian turmoil will provide Ukraine with an opportunity to accelerate its counteroffensive, which, President Zelenskiy admitted, is “going slower than desired,” and give Ukraine’s troops grappling with bloody and uncertain battles on the frontlines some hope. “As the war began, so it will end – inside Russia,” tweeted Oleksiy Danilov, the Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council. “The process has begun.”
Zelenskiy rightfully said that choosing the path of evil leads to self-destruction. Putin sends columns of soldiers to destroy the lives of another country and cannot stop them from fleeing and betraying when life resists. For a long time, Russia used propaganda to mask its weakness and the stupidity of its government. And now there is so much chaos that no lie can hide it. Russia’s weakness is obvious, and the longer it keeps its troops and mercenaries on Ukraine’s land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will have for itself later.
Podolyak summarized that Prigozhin’s group captures military facilities, headquarters, and entire cities, meeting almost no resistance on their way, disarming random soldiers and policemen. Putin declares Prigozhin a traitor and an outlaw and announces appropriate orders to the special services, but nothing happens – a management crisis, a de facto loss of power. At the same time, Wagner continues its march to Moscow. Ukraine continues to move along its path to the borders of 1991.
Putin’s accusation of Treason against Yevgeny Prigozhin now propagates more uncertainty in Russia. Many Ukrainian officials continue to speculate about the cause of the developments in Russia. It has become over time evident that the destabilized region in eastern Ukraine is an issue of concern to Putin, especially now that it seems that the problem is beginning to subtly shift to his country Russia.
The Russian military has been committing many atrocities in the war in Ukraine for far too long. With the recent events happening in Russia, it is unfortunate that the Ukrainian people can barely rejoice in the fact that their suffering will finally come to an end. Putin must realize that his country’s fate is in turmoil, and he must offer a political solution to the Ukrainian issue immediately. Otherwise, the country will keep experiencing unrest and chaos.
In conclusion, the situation in Russia is uncertain. Many Ukrainians remain fixed on their mobile phones hoping to hear good news about the situation’s resolution in Russia. Zelenkiy notes that Putin’s manipulation of the press no longer serves the Russian people well as they can see through it and hope the day would come when he reaches out to the Ukrainian government and offers them a peaceful diplomatic solution to aggression towards Ukraine.
Russia’s aggression towards civilians in Ukraine is a terror that engenders bitterness. The news of the current situation with Wagner seems to be an indicator that the federal state is slowly starting to crumble. Putin ought to put a stop to this before it’s too late.
Prigozhin should be put on trial for treason, according to the present reports. It’s no wonder that Putin will go to any length to ensure his political survival, even at the expense of his countrymen and his fellow citizens. Putin’s corrupt political system has been a menace to global security, and he must know that.
The Russian ruling regime is indeed collapsing, and such processes are becoming more intense. Prigozhin’s recent uprising against the Russian army exposes this collapse. Russo-Ukraine battles have been at the core of this collapse in power. Putin’s deception of individuals is the reason why he is in such a difficult position today.
It is clear that the Russian government is starting to crack. The Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov rightly points out that Wagner’s actions in Russia are the result of military aggression against Ukraine. Internal conflicts are widespread in the Russian regime, and such processes will intensify. This presents an opportunity for Ukraine.
Putin has been using propaganda for a long time to mask his country’s weaknesses and the stupidity of his government. The moment of truth has arrived, and Putin should note that Russia’s weakness is apparent. He will have more problems to deal with if he does not remove his troops and mercenaries from Ukraine’s land. Ukraine should continue to move along its path to the borders of 1991.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive has destabilized the Russian elites, intensifying the internal split that arose after the defeat in Ukraine. The result of the internal split is what Ukraine is currently seeing in Russia; an uprising against the Russian army. The events of the past few hours in Russia presage the impending collapse of the Russian regime; this is the perfect time for Ukraine to advance their counteroffensive.
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