Russia was put under a state of emergency for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine on the 24th of June after the Wagner mercenary uprising.
The rebellion is led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the head of the Wagner private military group. The group withdrew its troops from the front line in Ukraine and crossed the border into Russia, leading a “march of justice” to the country's capital.
Yevgeny Prigozhin declared that he and his militia of over 25000 men as they attempt to oust the leadership of the defence ministry. Wagner's private military group accuses the defence ministry of large-scale corruption that has caused setbacks in the war against Ukraine.
Did you read this?
Wagner's rebellion resulted from the Russian defence ministry forcing all mercenary groups to get contracts with the army. Hours after Prigozhin announced that he had captured Rostov-on-Don, a southern Russian city, Russia president Putin went on live television and said Prigozhin's actions amounted to armed mutiny and could lead to treason.
Due to the ongoing conflict between the two, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko decided to withdraw his troops from the war to avoid the shedding of 'Russian blood'.
However, This escalation was anticipated due to the long-standing feud between Prigozhin and the top Russian military officials over the decisions made in the war against Ukraine.
Putin established Wagner's private military group to secure Russia's interest in their foreign escapades and its expansionist geopolitical agenda in the Middle East and Africa.
The war in Ukraine is not showing signs of stopping anytime soon. The conflict has claimed over 6000 lives and thousands of others injured. Hundreds of thousands of others have fled the country into nearby nations to seek shelter and refuge from the war.
This rebellion could spell doom in Russia's efforts to win the war and its invasion of Ukraine.
