Battlefield Update - 2023-06-24 (1)
A lot of crazy stuff happening, maybe. Prigozhin (Wagner Group) appears to have released a video threatening a coup. He has a history of inflammatory outbursts, so who knows?
So far, there is a ton of hype, but not much evidence that anything big is actually going down. Twitter and Ukraine Telegram channels are lit up with information that doesn’t line up with Russian Telegram sources. Our best guess is that this won’t be a story in three days, but again, who knows? We don’t see anything trustworthy yet. Prigozhin is up to something, but what that is is not clear. This is all likely PsyOp stuff.
Here are some reports we are looking at.
Simplicius has the early take on it:
⚡️🇷🇺⚔️🤚 About the Security Enhancement in #Moscow - Truth and Fiction⚡️
⚠️ We want to put an End once and for all to the strengthening in #Moscow, about which they are now spreading on all Telegram channels in connection with the statement of Evgeny Prigozhin.
🗓 At 02:00 on 22 Jun 2023 (a day and a half ago), the mobilisation units, separate military units and subdivisions of the Defence Ministry, Ministry of the Interior, FSB, FSO and Rosgvardia went on the alert. They received information about preparation of an armed attack on governmental facilities. We wrote about this yesterday (https://t.me/rybar/48803).
🔸 The 10-day "yellow" security alert mode was introduced in connection with counter-terrorist measures. All government facilities have been strengthened, and all units must be equipped with firearms and ammunition.
🇺🇦 At the moment, the FSO and FSB together with the Interior Ministry are conducting an operation to search for Ukrainian sleeper cells and sabotage and reconnaissance groups (Once Again: not the Wagners, but Ukrainian GUR groups). According to our information, in the course of operational activities the FSB officers managed to find two agents of the Ukrainian GUR, who surrendered the entire chain of underground cells in the capital and the #Moscow region. They are now looking for a couple of dozen people who form the basis of the clandestine GUR network.
🧨 The fact that terrorist attacks were being prepared and attacks on government facilities was confirmed by facts of undercover reconnaissance: employees of diplomatic missions in diplomatic vans drove around #Moscow, recorded security guards and the order of duty and then passed this information to the GUR. A complex operation was being prepared.
📌 Yes, the Ministry of Defense is now, to put it mildly, "discussing" the situation with Prigozhin and PMCs. But the reinforcement measures in #Moscow began not today - and not for such an occasion.
📜 RYBAR (https://t.me/rybar/48876); 23 Jun 2023, 23:37
t.me/sitreports /@rybar/#smo/#ass/
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⚡️🇷🇺⚔️🤚 The Situation as of 23:00 on 23 Jun 2023⚡️
🔹1. On accusations of Prigozhin shelling the Wagner PMC camp and threats to change the Russian MoD, the Russian MoD and NAC said it was all an information provocation.
🔹2. The FSB opened a criminal case over Prigozhin's allegations.
🔹3. Putin is aware of the situation. Some kind of measures are being taken.
🔹4. The NAC demands an immediate halt to any unlawful actions.
🔹5. No evidence of movement of Wagner convoys or any confrontation has been presented.
🔹6. CIPSO is throwing in a huge amount of fakes and disinformation.
🔹7. According to 👉 Rybar (https://t.me/sitreports/10734), all of Prigozhin's published posts were and are recorded at 19-25 and published in delayed posts.
🔹8. Active fighting continues on the front in various directions. The Russian Aerospace Forces are striking in the #Zaporozhye and #Dnepropetrovsk regions.
🔎 We continue to monitor developments. What's most important:
❗️1. Remember that the main enemy we have is on the other side of the frontline!
⚔️2. An Armed conflict within the country in the current circumstances is evil!
📌 3. The current situation is obviously intolerable - the country's leadership must take the necessary steps to resolve it in the interest of ensuring the necessary internal stability, without which the goals of the #SMO are unlikely to be achieved.
📜 Boris Rozhin (https://t.me/boris_rozhin/90006); 23 Jun 2023, 23:01
t.me/sitreports /@boris_rozhin/#ass/
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⚡️🇷🇺⚔️🤚 The Public Conflict between Evgeny Prigozhin, Head of the Wagner PMC and Defence Minister Sergey Shoygu, appears to be nearing its End⚡️
🗓 Today (23 Jun 2023) Prigozhin published a frank interview in which he voiced many things about which it is not customary to talk in public. The reasons for the special operation, the murky dealings of officials, indulging the needs of the oligarchy, profiting from the troubles of #Donbass and the collapse of the Russian army.
❗️There are specific culprits in this whole interview - Shoygu and Gerasimov, whom Prigozhin has been openly blaming for all the problems for the past two months, and yes Medvedchuk, who has been written off.
🎬 An hour ago, Prigozhin reported on the RF Armed Forces' strike on the rear camp of the Wagner PMC Video (https://t.me/VAGNER_svodki/5) is available on the Net, the cameraman is following the same route as military correspondent Aleksandr Simonov (https://t.me/brussinf/6251). We have some questions about the video. Despite the pre-confirmed facts of scheduling fire at the facilities of the Wagner PMC, the video itself does not hold up to a hundred percent proof and is highly likely staged!
💬 According to Prigozhin, the council of commanders of the PMCs decided to "figure out why there is lawlessness in the country. He demanded the law enforcement agencies not to put obstacles in the way because "it is time to end the outrage". The stated goal of Prigozhin is to deal with Shoygu, who, according to him, "ran away from #Rostov.
⚔️According to the head of the PMC, he has 25,000 fighters under his belt. He urged all concerned to join his fight. After bringing order, Prigozhin promised to return to the front.
📜 RYBAR (https://t.me/rybar/48858); 23 Jun 2023, 22:05
t.me/sitreports /@rybar/#smo/#ass/
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There is no panic in Moscow and St. Petersburg - people walk along the central streets of the two capitals of Russia and dance to the music
In the center of Moscow, despite reports of increased security measures after Yevgeny Prigozhin's statement, life continues to boil. Young people have gathered on the central streets of the city, dancing to the music and celebrating Youth Day, and the bars are packed with visitors.
The same situation, where there is no place for panic, reigns in St. Petersburg. There are no obvious unrest on the central streets of St. Petersburg and near the water channels on the eve of the Scarlet Sails - earlier in some chats they disseminated information about boats moving towards the Wagner Center.
#source (https://t.me/readovkanews/61349)
Richard Medhurst has a stable take on it.
The following video is highly suspicious. The onlookers are a bit to casual.
Alexander Kharchenko:
What strikes me most is the onlookers who walk in white sneakers among armed men and tanks in Rostov. I understand that tik tok ate your brains a long time ago. But the instinct of self-preservation should work at least 1%. Move away from uniformed men and armored vehicles immediately. This is not a parade, there is a chance that you will not be able to show these pictures to anyone else!
The situation is tense, why irritate the security forces and get under their feet? Come home, get off the street. What you think of as heroism is in fact a complete idiot. I repeat once again, step back and do not interfere with the security forces. You don't want the lavender raff hunt to be the last of your life, do you?
https://t.me/bayraktar1070/1306
What is known by now about the attempt to organize an armed rebellion, Prigozhin's statement and the reaction to it. Chronology:
▪️ The Ministry of Defense on Friday evening reported that the information on behalf of Prigozhin about the alleged strike on the Wagner rear camps is a lie and a provocation
▪️ The NAC said that the FSB opened a case on the fact of calling for an armed rebellion. The Prosecutor General's Office clarified that the case against Prigozhin was opened under article 279
▪️ The FSB Public Relations Center reported that Prigozhin's words - calls for an armed civil conflict in the Russian Federation - are a "stab in the back" to Russian servicemen
▪️ The CSO of the FSB urged PMC fighters not to make mistakes, not to carry out the criminal and treacherous orders of Prigozhin and to take measures to detain him
▪️ Army General Surovikin called on the commanders and fighters of the Wagner group to obey the will of the President of the Russian Federation and resolve the issue peacefully
▪️ Another general - Alekseev - called on "Wagner" to think again and said that it was impossible to come up with a bigger blow to the image of Russia, the RF Armed Forces, such a provocation could only be done by the enemies of the Russian Federation
▪️ The Ministry of Defense reported that after the provocation of Prigozhin, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are concentrating forces in the Bakhmutov direction for an offensive, attacks are being made on the enemy
▪️ Prigozhin said that the Wagner convoy is moving towards Rostov
▪️ On Channel One, the video about the alleged attack on the camp of the Wagner group was called a production
▪️ Peskov said that the Ministry of Defense, the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Russian Guard are reporting to Putin around the clock on measures. He added that Prosecutor General Krasnov reported to Putin about the criminal case against Prigozhin.
▪️ The authorities of Moscow , the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region reported at night that the situation in the regions is calm
▪️ The government of the Voronezh region stated that a convoy of military equipment is moving along the M-4 "Don" road, the situation is under control
▪️The Governor of the Rostov region urged to refrain from traveling to the center of Rostov-on-Don and, if possible, not to leave their homes
https://t.me/SLGmaps/328
#source (https://t.me/rian_ru/206696)
This is an early morning update. More to come today.
CIA production of fake coup?