Wagner Group’s coup is ‘game-changer’ for Putin as his days at the moment are ‘numbered’

The Wagner mercenary group’s shock rise up has challenged Vladimir Putin’s rule over Russia, consultants have stated.

Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, stated the president’s authority had suffered a deadly blow regardless of his deal to quell the surprising rebellion.

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin halted his troops’ armed mutiny, that noticed them heading for Moscow on Saturday, because the Kremlin agreed to a swift decision.

But analysts have warned the episode had shattered Putin’s fastidiously cultivated picture because the nation’s indomitable chief.

Mr Ellwood, a former soldier, advised the Daily Express: “We’ve moved into a very volatile period for Russia. The immediate may have been diffused but this is a dangerous game-changer for Putin and his days are now, in my view, numbered.

“The Wagner group may have been muted and its leader exiled but Putin is significantly weakened and his enemies are now circling, realising that his whole pretence of power is diminishing.

“When a Russian leader has to contain a coup by offering the coup leader a place in exile rather than defeating him directly then you know power is draining from the Kremlin.”

Mr Ellwood stated historical past had proven that even when leaders survive the “initial wound”, such a destabilising occasion could lead on to a whole regime collapse.

He added: “The cat’s out of the bag just how disastrous the war in Ukraine has been. The big change is that the Russian people now realise how futile Putin’s adventurism is.

“But not only that, they also see that he is significantly weakened after only being able to strike a deal with Russian forces essentially that were marching on Moscow.”

Mr Ellwood stated Ukrainian fighters ought to “take advantage” of the chaos, which is more likely to additional decrease the morale of Russian troopers.

He added: “That’s how war operates, there are occasions that need to be seized. The luck that Ukraine should now have needs to be grasped and utilised to its best ability.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated the tried armed mutiny has uncovered the “real cracks” in Putin’s authority.

He advised US media Saturday’s rise up by Prigozhin’s Wagner fighters was a “direct challenge” to Mr Putin, forcing him into an amnesty settlement.

Mr Blinken conceded it was “too early” to foretell what influence the mutiny may have on the Kremlin or on Russia’s full-scale invasion, however warned it “raises profound questions”.

He added: “If you put this in context – 16 months ago, Putin was on the doorstep of Kyiv, looking to take the city in a matter of days, erase the country from the map.

“Now, he’s had to defend Moscow, Russia’s capital, against a mercenary of his own making.”

Mr Blinken stated the weekend’s “extraordinary” occasions had been “just the latest chapter in a book of failure that Putin has written for himself and for Russia”.

He added: “We’ve seen more cracks emerge in the Russian facade. It is too soon to tell exactly where they go, but certainly we have all sorts of new questions that Putin is going to have to address in the weeks and months ahead.”

Former MI6 officer Christopher Steele stated: “What’s changed I think is that Vladimir Putin has lost authority and legitimacy within Russia and has been challenged in a way.

“Yes, he’s managed to worm his way out of it for the present. To see events unfold in Russia yesterday and the speed with which the situation seemed to spiral out of control must be very concerning for Putin and the people around him.”

Former Russian prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov, who served below Putin from 2000 to 2004, stated it was “the beginning of the end – he’s in very big trouble right now”.

Marina Litvinenko, whose husband Alexander Litvinenko was a critic of Putin earlier than he died after being poisoned in London in 2006, stated the tried rise up uncovered the Russian chief’s weaknesses.

She stated Putin’s “brutal” picture was “just for frightening people”, and the newest occasions despatched a “special message” about his energy.

Edward Lucas, a senior adviser on the Centre for European Policy Analysis, stated the UK should put together for a “deeply dangerous and unpredictable” post-Putin Russia.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated the Government was “keeping a close eye on the situation”.

He added: “We’ve been monitoring for a while the potential of Russia’s illegal invasion in Ukraine to be destabilising, and you’ve seen the situation as it’s developing. The most important thing is for all parties to behave responsibly and to protect civilian lives.”

The scale of Putin’s humiliation was turning into clear final evening. Reports advised the Russian navy misplaced 39 pilots and crew throughout the rise up.

The Wagner group is a personal navy firm of mercenaries, together with many ex-convicts, who’ve fought alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

Leader Prigozhin had lengthy feuded with navy chiefs over their dealing with of the struggle and efforts to achieve tighter management over his males.

Events unfolded with dizzying pace on Saturday when he took management of a regional navy command within the southern Russian metropolis of Rostov-on-Don.

The 62-year-old then introduced a “march for justice”, sending a convoy in the direction of Moscow to confront navy leaders.

Putin accused his former ally of treason and “a stab in the back of our country”.

But by the night the rise up had been known as off after a deal between Prigohzin and the Kremlin. Russian authorities stated Wagner troops who joined the mutiny won’t be prosecuted, whereas Prigozhin will enter exile in Belarus.

Prigozhin and his troops had been seen posing for selfies with residents in Rostov-on-Don on Saturday because the drama unfolded.