Wagner backing out and getting reassigned elsewhere, (Belarus now, but perhaps Armenia soon) might justify a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine without losing as much face as being kicked out.
The head dude, railed about the lies put out by the Mod that forced Putin to take action.//or the lies about easy it would be to roll over Kiev. Pick either one - they both say 'purge'. The Wagner guy was looking to clean out the MoD head shed. I think Putin is ready to wash the laundry given the rampart corruption uncovered and sheer stupidity displayed by this current management team in the MoD. The open question is will this mean nothing and the war goes on apace or will this be used as a fig leaf to end hostilities? The billionaires want their yachts back and Russia needs hard western $$ paid for their gas and oil.
Another view - from a Russian Some possible outcomes of yesterday's events: 1. In Wagner PMC, a split has reportedly started between those who felt used and those who remained loyal to Prigozhin after the failed rebellion. 2. Combat pilots reportedly quit Wagner PMC due to their disagreement with the way planes and helicopters of the Russian Aerospace Forces were destroyed yesterday. 3. A vertical of power has collapsed. No one in Russia can feel safe anymore. Neither officials, nor oligarchs, nor FSB officers who used to think they were the rulers of life. Putin stopped holding a monopoly on violence in Russia yesterday. It was proven that factions with more weapons and determination decide everything. 4. Russia might be facing a bloody war, not a civil war, but a war of clans, armed groups and private armies: Chechens, Prigozhin's supporters, armed mercenaries, who will separate from Prigozhin or other PMCs and be hired by local clans for protection from invading outsiders. All large business and oligarchs will probably create (if they haven't already) private armies, as Gazprom has already done to protect itself. Conflicts and redistribution of property will be resolved by force. It will be the new 90s but far worse - Resembling the Mad Max style and genre of an anti-utopia action movie. 5. The Russian army, it seems, has de facto ceased to exist as a united structure. Soldiers and officers sitting in trenches in the massacre unleashed by Putin, probably finally realized yesterday the utter pointlessness of the war against Ukraine, against the background of the fact that a group of criminals in the rear can pass 600km in a day, sweeping away everything in their path and then be amnestied after killing pilots and civilians. 6. Ukraine is a few steps closer to fully restoring its territorial integrity, including Crimea. 7. What a pity that this circus did not end with the self-destruction of Putin's regime and Prigozhin faction. But I believe it will happen again with even larger scale! scary as hell, eh?
That's the thug life....violent and precarious for all around them...little different to feudalism really. I shouldn't think that Russia is all that far away from feudalism and the reintroduction of serfdom.
What a let down to the commie's way of thinking of I'm the leader and you will march into hell at my pleasure. People are like nah Perhaps we won't march into hell for you're commie ass?
Looked and had the aroma of theater from the git go to me. To what end.... that is not clear yet. The move to Belarus where things are heating up on the Polish border after the tactical nuke transfer perhaps would be a good move. While Ivan might not be great on the battle field he is pretty good at illusion and deception.