Thread by @ChrisO_wiki

1/ The Russian Ministry of Defence was reportedly "rather briskly wiping Wagner out" of its projects in Africa and Syria in order to "strangle" it, prior to Yevgeny Prigozhin's death. This prompted his final and ultimately fatal visit to Moscow. ⬇️

2/ The Russian investigative journalist Andrey Zakharov, who has reported previously on the Wagner Group's affairs, says that sources have told him that its overseas operations were rapidly being liquidated by the Russian government despite assurances from Putin.

3/ According to Zakharov, "Before his death, Prigozhin was allegedly told to get out of Syria together with Wagner.

4/ Prigozhin flew to Moscow not just to "solve questions", but real fundamental problems. The Ministry of Defence was not just trying to squeeze him out of Syria and Africa, but actually began to strangle PMC Wagner.

5/ So, here's what they tell me:

1. Putin had not one, but at least two meetings with Prigozhin after the rebellion. One was the one, with the participation of Wagner commanders, at which Putin said "well, here you are in the Kremlin."

6/ The other was less public, at which Putin allegedly said that Prigozhin could safely deal with the "far abroad" such as Africa and Syria, but not meddle in Ukraine and even less in internal [Russian] affairs.

7/ 2. Despite this, the Ministry of Defence began to rather briskly wipe Wagner out of projects in these countries.

8/ Shortly before Prigozhin's death, Deputy Defence Minister [Yunus-bek] Yevkurov arrived in Syria – the same one whom Prigozhin had told on the day of the mutiny "don't poke me," and he obediently mumbled something.

9/ In Syria, Yevkurov worked with the local authorities, and they gave Wagner an ultimatum: leave Syria by the end of September.

10/ 3. Wipe out the Wagners in the St Petersburg way, in a gangsterish way.

11/ In fact, they are forbidden to use Russian military aviation for the rotation [of personnel] and delivery of goods (and not only from Syria – in general, they cannot use the Khmeimim airbase, and this is a transit point from Africa).

12/ The matter allegedly reached the point that, through the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Syrian government was asked not to accept aircraft from other countries that are used by the Wagnerites.

13/ For example, the planes of the Ministry of Defence of the Central African Republic (CAR). It's said that it was like this: one Sergei (Shoigu) urgently asked another Sergei (Lavrov) to pass such an instruction through the Russian Embassy in Damascus.

14/ 4. After Syria, Yevkurov went to Libya. Just so you understand: although Russia has been helping Marshal Haftar for a long time, this is the first official visit of the Russian military leadership to the country.

15/ Wagner reigns there, and during the rebellion a few military departments asked the rebels not to piss on them, if anything.

16/ Yevkurov offered the Libyans about the same thing as he offered the Syrians: let's drive Wagner out of here, and the valiant structures of the Ministry of Defence will take their place.

17/ 5. Prigozhin and the Wagner leadership fly out of Mali with a refuelling stop in Damascus to see what is going on.

18/ In Moscow, he has at least one meeting with a member of the Security Council (Putin confirmed in his "condolence message" that there were meetings), and then flies to St Petersburg.

19/ The plane explodes, DNA examination shows that Prigozhin was on board, not his double (although there will always be those who will say that "Prigozhin is not dead, he just went out for a smoke").

20/ 6. Yevkurov continues his tour. He comes to Syria again, and then sort of plans to visit Africa – not Egyptian resorts, of course, but countries where Wagner is present (e.g., CAR).

21/ 7. Well, you ask, what does the Ministry of Defence want to do with PMCs? Here it is not quite clear yet, but it seems - the hated Carthage should be destroyed and covered with salt.

22/ That is, move to other PMCs, move to the Ministry of Defence, forget the name "Wagner" – but so far there is no clear concept of what to do with Prigozhin's empire, as I am told.

23/ After all, in Africa and Syria this empire is not just a military structure, it also includes contracts related to oil, gas and gold extraction.

That is, it is necessary to destroy Carthage, but also to take everything valuable for themselves.

24/ At the same time, some things are legally registered to Prigozhin's people, some of whom died with him. And some things to his family.

25/ 8. A separate and main question is how Prigozhin's death and the squeezing out of Wagner could have happened if Putin allegedly gave his word that nothing would happen to Prigozhin, and even gave him "permission" to work away from his homeland.

26/ I don't have an answer to this question, so it's better to quote Putin himself: "Betrayal is the most serious sin."

27/ 9. What will happen next to the Prigozhin empire? While salaries are being paid, but in such suspended conditions, it will inevitably begin to crumble into pieces. I am told that everything will be resolved in the very near future." /end

Source:
t.me/zakharovchanne…