Just a few days after Russia experienced a brief turmoil that saw fighters of the Wagner group marching towards Moscow, the mercenary group’s name was removed from the glossy facade of its headquarters in Saint Petersburg. Some organisations associated with its now exiled chief Yevgeny Prigozhin are being shut down and contracts with some others are getting cancelled. The recruitment to Wagner has been put on hold in some of the 40-odd centres the company has opened up across Russia.
The immediate trigger behind Prigozhin’s downfall started early in the morning on June 24, when he released a video from Russia’s southern city of Rostov, stating that his fighters have taken control of the city. Rostov residents who wanted to leave found the train station really crowded and no tickets available. Many, however, ventured out on to the streets and even did photo sessions with Wagner fighters and their weaponry. By the time the bulk of the mercenaries started leaving Rostov some 12 hours later, following Prigozhin’s announcement that he ordered his troops back to the camps as he did not want “Russian blood to be shed”, many people could be seen cheering the fighters and sending them flying kisses.
Images of a Wagner tank stuck at the gates of the city circus, adjacent to the defence headquarters building, was probably one of the most shared pictures of the ‘coup’. It was symbolic, too, as hours after the attempted coup was called off, many Russians would start referring to it just as a “circus”. As an online commentator noted, “When was the last time Rostov saw tanks rolling in? During the Nazi occupation? There won’t be such a chance in the future,” he said, explaining why most people were excited at seeing Wagner’s troops.
Bu hikaye THE WEEK India dergisinin July 16, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK India dergisinin July 16, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
