Analysis: Putin under pressure as ally turns rebel

Yevgeny Prigozhin calls it his "March of Justice". Vladimir Putin says it is simply a "criminal escapade" and an "armed mutiny". One elder Russian commandant has called it "a coup".

Whatever you telephone it, the Wagner main has gone for broke to effort to topple Russia's subject leadership.

This had been brewing. For months determination has been precise nationalist infighting betwixt Wagner and Russia's ministry of defence implicit however the warfare successful Ukraine has been fought.

Wagner had repeatedly accused the ministry of failing to proviso the mercenary radical with capable ammunition (and doing that connected purpose.)

Prigozhin had been progressively vocal successful his disapproval of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

Criticising is 1 thing. Armed confrontation is another.

Prigozhin claims the defence ministry started it, though, with a rocket onslaught connected Friday connected a Wagner basal camp. The Russian authorities contradict that ever happened. They telephone that communicative "an accusation provocation".

If this is an attempted coup, past it is not a accepted one.

In his rants connected societal media, Prigozhin has been cautious not to criticise President Putin oregon the Russian government.

He has ever emphasised that his beef is with the subject leadership, not with the Kremlin.

But that is of small consolation to President Putin. An equipped insurrection by a backstage Russian service (especially 1 that is expected to beryllium warring connected your side) does not precisely bespeak good connected the antheral astatine the apical - the president and commander-in-chief.

Which is wherefore Vladimir Putin needed to marque that code to the federation connected Saturday greeting - to person Russians helium is inactive successful control.

From the dependable of things, determination volition beryllium nary quiescent Kremlin chat with Prigozhin to calm him down.

President Putin's code was packed with references to "betrayal" and Russia having been "stabbed successful the back."

He promised a "tough response".

Easy to say. Much harder to do.

President Putin volition astir surely bask the enactment of elder Russian commanders. Some person already gone nationalist with their condemnation of Prigozhin's actions.

What's little wide is the existent temper successful the little ranks of the army. To what grade person Prigozhin's criticisms of subject chiefs struck a chord there?

Watching the president making his TV address, I had a beardown feeling of déjà vu.

I remembered the melodramatic code helium made precisely 16 months agone erstwhile helium announced the commencement of his "special subject operation" - the full-scale penetration of Ukraine.

It was a precise antithetic Vladimir Putin backmost then.

He seemed supremely assured of victory.

That was an cognition the Russian authorities expected to beryllium implicit successful days, a fewer weeks maximum.

But it did not spell astatine each according to plan. Russia's warfare not lone led to decease and demolition connected a ample standard successful Ukraine. It sparked instability wrong Russia itself.

And that has led to the melodramatic events we are witnessing present with Prigozhin and his Wagner fighters.

It creates different immense headache for the Kremlin.

Not lone is President Putin warring a warfare successful Ukraine.

He present has to woody with a mutiny astatine home.