According to reports, US spy intelligence officials were aware that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the paramilitary Wagner group, intended to attack Russia militarily.
According to a report in the New York Times on Sunday, senior military and government officials were briefed by US intelligence officials earlier this week that there were indications that Prigozhin was getting ready to act based on the group’s movements and equipment buildups close to Russia.
read more: Wagner mutiny ‘stab in the back’ of Russia: Putin says
However, US representatives chose to remain silent regarding Prigozhin’s plans. The excuse given, according to the report, was that if they spoke up, Russian President Vladimir Putin might have accused them of planning a coup.
It was unclear when the US first learned of upcoming events in Russia, according to the report, but as more evidence of the plot emerged on Thursday, intelligence officials briefed a small group of congressional leaders.
The Russian military leadership was charged with attacking Prigozhin’s men in an audio message that was posted on Telegram on Friday. He further stated that “the evil that the Russian military leadership carries must be stopped.”
In an effort to overthrow the military hierarchy, he also asserted that he had taken control of Rostov-on-Don in the south.
Prigozhin claimed that airstrikes had been conducted on his forces, but the Russian government denied this and demanded that he stop his “illegal actions.”
Authorities in Russia initially accused Prigozhin of “organizing an armed rebellion” against Putin and claimed the Wagner commander had called for an armed uprising.
Putin declared the “armed mutiny” to be treason in an urgent speech to the nation on Saturday. He also promised to punish anyone who had used weapons against the Russian military.
Putin declared, “This is a stab in the back to our country, to our nation.” “Exactly betrayal is what we’ve been dealing with. Treason was motivated by lofty aspirations and private interests.”
The Kremlin also issued a warning to Western nations not to try to use the Wagner group’s armed uprising against Moscow for their “Russophobic goals.”
Prigozhin gave the order to turn around and leave Rostov-on-Don later on Saturday. He was marching his troops toward Moscow.
Prigozhin’s choice followed discussions with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko intended to defuse the situation.
An amnesty for Wagner forces who had taken part in the armed rebellion against Russia appeared to be included in the conditions.
Russia added that Prigozhin’s criminal case had been dropped after he gave the order for his troops to cease fighting and retreat to their bases.
In the conflict in Ukraine, Russian forces have been fighting alongside the Wagner Group, a paramilitary group.
