Thread by @TheStudyofWar

🧵#Wagner Group financier Yevgeny #Prigozhin claimed that he received a press question exposing a plot spearheaded by #Russian President Vladimir #Putin & Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai #Patrushev to undermine and “neutralize” the #WagnerGroup. isw.pub/UkrWar031623

https://twitter.com/TheStudyofWar/status/1636522411028893697

2/ #Prigozhin’s press service published a claimed request for comment on March 16 from #Russian outlet Nezavisimaya Gazeta asking if Prigozhin was aware of alleged discussions between #Putin and Patrushev regarding the future of the Wagner Group.

3/ The post claims that Patrushev suggested that upon Wagner’s destruction in Ukraine, Prigozhin will try to “unite the former and remaining active Wagner fighters under a far-fetched pretext,” arm them, and "send them to the territory of Russia...

4/ ... in order to seize power in the regions bordering #Ukraine with a possible advance inland." isw.pub/UkrWar031623

5/ The post says that #Patrushev has already ordered observation and control over the movement of former #Wagner fighters and that #Putin reportedly agreed with this step and thanked Patrushev for his efforts to “neutralize Wagner in general & Yevgeny #Prigozhin in particular.”

6/ Nezivisimaya Gazeta has not published the press comment on its own site, and no record of the comment is visible anywhere other than in references to the post by #Prigozhin’s press service. isw.pub/UkrWar031623

7/ @TheStudyofWar has not observed any information to suggest that these discussions have happened, nor has ISW captured any speculation in the #Russian information space about them. isw.pub/UkrWar031623

8/ Nezivisimaya Gazeta has not published the press comment on its own site, and no record of the comment is visible anywhere other than in references to the post by #Prigozhin’s press service. isw.pub/UkrWar031623

9/ The lack of external confirmation suggests that #Prigozhin has fabricated the alleged plot to further several information operations on behalf of #Wagner and his own reputation in what is likely the next evolution of his campaign against the #Russian military establishment.