For Ksenia Bolchakova, guest at France Inter, “in Putin’s entourage there are a certain number of traitors who are ready to change sides and who would have encouraged Prigoyine to act”, or “they did not manifest themselves”.
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Published on 06/26/2023 10:58
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Ksenia Bolchakova, Russian investigative journalist and Albert London Prize 2022 for her documentary on the Wagner militia, was a guest of France Inter on June 26, 2023. (FRANCE INTER / RADIO FRANCE)
“It was indeed an attempted coup,” Ksenia Bolchakova, Russian investigative journalist and 2022 Albert London Prize for her documentary on the Wagner militia after the paramilitary group’s ultimately aborted uprising in Russia, told France on Monday, June 26 Inter. She also believes that Yevgeny Prigoyine did not travel to Belarus, as required by the agreement with Russian authorities.
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“Today we have elements proving the intentionality of this action,” explains Ksenia Bolchakova. “We know that Evguéni Prigojine has been trying to accumulate arms for several months.” For the journalist, the turning point and the decision to organize a rebellion was reached “when the Ministry of Defense decided to pass this law, which all private military companies, including Wagner, placed under guardianship”.
“It was unacceptable for Prigojine, who above all did not want to find himself under the tutelage of Defense Minister Sergei Choïgou and Chief of Staff Valeri Guérassimov.” “He counted on Vladimir Putin’s support, which he didn’t have, and this is the turning point,” says Ksenia Bolchakova.
“What’s really going to change now is a tougher regime”
Several explanations are possible for Yevgeny Prigoyine’s reversal: “We know that in Putin’s entourage there were a number of traitors who were willing to change sides and who would have encouraged Prigoyine to take part in the ‘action’ or ‘did so they don’t’ appear’. In the Ministry of Defense, too, “Prigojine’s supporters who were on his side on Friday evening suddenly switched sides and recorded videos in which they called on Wagner’s fighters to turn back”. According to Ksenia Bolchakova, the Russian ultra-right has also turned its back on Prigozhin. In Russia, “a tougher regime is really going to change now,” she said.
“The anti-terrorist operation set up in the big cities, and especially in the capital, has not been cancelled. This results in the police having a number of opportunities to conduct operations that they should not normally conduct.”
Ksenia Bolchakova, Russian investigative journalist
at France Inter
Yevgeny Prigoyine “is not in Belarus,” the journalist affirms. “We don’t know where he is, maybe in Saint Petersburg or on the way to several bases, probably in Russia.” […] I didn’t reveal much of his life on Friday night but the proof is that he is still alive and all charges against him have been dropped while 13 Russian army pilots were killed in those 48 hours. He is also still in control of his African affairs.”
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