Reports Say US Intelligence Knew Prigozhin Was Planning Mutiny in Russia
According to NYT, Biden officials were briefed on the possibility two days before the short-lived uprising began
by Dave DeCamp Posted onJune 25, 2023CategoriesNewsTagsRussia
Several US media outlets have reported that US intelligence was aware Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was planning to take military action against Russia’s defense establishment before his short-lived uprising began on Friday.
According to a report from The New York Times, US intelligence officials briefed senior military and Biden administration officials on Wednesday about Prigozhin’s plans. The report said congressional leaders were briefed on the plot on Thursday, which was also reported by CNN.
The Washington Post reported that US spy agencies picked up intelligence in mid-June about Prigozhin planning an armed action and quickly informed the White House and other government agencies. An anonymous US official told the Post that Prigozhin’s exact plans weren’t clear but that “there were enough signals to be able to tell the leadership … that something was up.”
The Post report said that the US was concerned about what the potential instability would mean for the control of Russia’s massive nuclear arsenal. But the US wasn’t concerned enough to make the information public.
The Times report said that US officials felt “that if they said anything, Mr. Putin could accuse them of orchestrating a coup. And they clearly had little interest in helping Mr. Putin avoid a major, embarrassing fracturing of his support.”
None of the reports said how US intelligence obtained the information about Prigozhin’s plans. Prigozhin had been publicly feuding with Russian military leadership for months after accusing Moscow of not providing his soldiers enough support for the brutal battle of Bakhmut.
The feud escalated on June 10, when Russia’s military brass said that all volunteer fighters must sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry. Prigozhin said Wagner would refuse the order, which he saw as an attempt by the Defense Ministry to control the mercenary force.
After launching the mutiny on Friday, Prigozhin’s forces captured a military base in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and were headed toward Moscow. They turned around on Saturday and returned to their base camps after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a deal between Prigozhin and the Kremlin. Under the agreement, the Wagner leader will live in exile and Belarus, and criminal charges against Prigozhin and his fighters will be dropped.
Author: Dave DeCamp
Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave. View all posts by Dave DeCamp
