Prigozhin’s mutiny - causes, course and consequences of the Wagner Group rebellion

Abstract

The author seeks answers to the question of how the Prighozin’s mutiny affected the position of the Wagner Group in Russia. He mainly takes into account the events that took place on 23-24 June 2023, when the mercenaries led by Yevgeny Prigozhin carried out the so-called “march of justice” against the Russian Defense Ministry. The aim of the article is to answer three specific research questions: 1) what factors led to the Wagner Group’s rebellion? 2) what was the reaction of the Russian government to these events? 3) what are the consequences of Prigozhin’s rebellion for the stability of Putin’s regime, the Wagner Group leadership and the organisation as a whole? In seeking answers to these questions, the author focuses on Prigozhin’s relations with the Russian military elite. He then presents the course of the rebellion and the Kremlin’s reaction to these events. The author further discusses the consequences of the rebellion both within Russia and internationally.