斯考特·里特认为，普里戈任是按照外国情报机关的意志行动

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Scott Ritter: This is a concerted effort between Wagner, the Ukrainian intelligence service, and their Western sponsors, in particular the British... there is no doubt in my mind that Yevgeny Prigozhin is working on behalf of foreign intelligence services to collapse the government of Russia.


https://twitter.com/Navsteva/status/1672643623450472449

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(Addendum): I did not make any Telegram posts while this event was ongoing because I could see live the insane amount of misinformation being spread online, some of it quite obviously deliberate, some of it a result of idiocy, and some of it a result of clout-chasing.

https://twitter.com/baronitaigas/status/1672710273566756864

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Concern about Russia's silent allies is certainly warranted, but we should remember the (much more serious imo) attempt by Turkey's actual army to overthrow Erdogan did not seriously damage the country's external relations long-term with its established allies.

Besides, I think everyone in the world does, after living with Russia for several hundred years, expect it to get a little crazy once in a while. Strange and tragic events are part of the national makeup.

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But more than ever, it has become apparent that Russia requires a new constitution, and as soon as this war is concluded (if it is concluded on favorable terms to Russia) a new president. What fate holds in store for Prigozhin, a disgrace to his country, we shall see.

For now, we return to the war. So far, it seems all men on the front continued to do their duty in this most difficult hour, when a madman held a dagger to their backs. Russia has lost a very capable force, but all other things mostly hold constant.

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The experiment of Wagner PMC, cooked up in backrooms to skirt around the stifling limitations of the Russian Federation's constitution, has exploded in the scientists' face. Putin oversaw the creation of a new Streltsy on Russian soil, and he crowned a new Kovansky over it.

For all the voluminous failures that can be put at the door of Gerasimov, Shoigu, and a host of as-yet-nameless Russian intelligence officials, this failure is on the president. For now, the requirement of stability in the face of NATO's efforts to destroy the country protect him

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His laughable fraud about his men's camp being targeted by the Russian military (now recognized as staged by almost everyone), his clearly exaggerated outbursts during the siege of Bakhmut, his disgraceful use of his men's bodies as props, it has led to this final disgrace.

But it was all allowed to happen. And this is the critical point. The situation is defused, the war seems to be continuing, and the complete absence of support from society for the plotters does not bode well for any future attempts by someone else, but the damage is done.

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Russia has had 'loose' command structures cause it problems before. In 1682, the Streltsy, who formed the regulars of the Russian army, whilst helping the regent Sofia obtain power, illegally occupied the capital and turned it into their own personal barracks.

Their leader, Ivan Kovansky, was eventually beheaded along with his son, and Peter the Great destroyed the Streltsy after their final attempt to seize power, and the entire army was reorganized. Prigozhin is the Kovansky of our time. What he has done is unforgivable.

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His life was spared to prevent more bloodshed in the name of this narcissistic bandit, to prevent a fratricidal conflict that, while even most western analysts said was unlikely to go his way, could cost Russia its positions in Ukraine.

And speaking of Ukraine, we find that although their loud suited jackals jumped on this unfortunate incident, their army was slow to respond. Like the retreat from Kherson, it appears the moment to inflict maximum damage to Russia slipped through their fingers.

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Like January 6th, it became apparent quickly that a lot of noise does not a seizure of power make. You have to either have the entire military apparatus on your side, or have significant backing from some political faction. He could find none.

So the attempt as clearly becoming unglued before Lukashenko stepped in to mediate. The outcome, according to the Kremlin, is quite clear. Wagner PMC will be dissolved. Prigozhin will be exiled to Belarus. No change of MoD personnel was apparently discussed.

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Notice also, Prigozhin almost had ready-baked statements for this military disaster he expected, and when it didn't happen, he published them anyway! He claimed, contrary to all war correspondents (even MoD-hostile ones) that UAF was achieving great success in the south.

So, when the coup unfolded, what did we find? Nobody supported Prigozhin except the enemy, except known traitors. Within hours, he was denounced by every governor in the country, the president, every major political party, and every prominent Telegram channel.