Russian Defense Minister Breaks Silence After Wagner Revolt

Less than two weeks after Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin staged an uprising threatening civil unrest in Russia, Vladimir Putin’s defense minister, Sergei Shoigu—whom Prigozhin specifically sought to remove from power—made his first public remarks on the mutiny, claiming that the effort failed because “the armed forces showed loyalty to the oath and military duty.” Thanking them “for their conscientious service,” the 68-year-old commander downplayed Prigozhin’s would-be revolt, which was motivated by the Wagner leader’s long-standing feud with Shoigu over a lack of support for his men and the war cause. Things reached a perilous head between the rivals late last month, when Prigozhin objected to Shoigu’s desire to integrate his state-funded paramilitary organization into the regular military, and grew furious over Russian forces attacking his battalion—an allegation that has yet to be corroborated. Following the occupation of the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, Prigozhin’s unit marched on Moscow, only to abruptly halt that campaign 120 miles from the country’s capital. In the ensuing deal struck with Putin, Prigozhin agreed to exile in neighboring Belarus—and has yet to be seen or heard from since.