Prigozhin vs. Putin: The Military Coup That Wasn't

It all started after notorious mercenary group PMC Wagner's self-proclaimed founder and leader Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed in an audio recording Friday, that the Kremlin authorized an attack on his forces, which had killed a "huge amount" of his troops. He also slammed military chiefs at the Russian Ministry of Defense -- particularly Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian Army Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov -- for mismanaging the ongoing war in Ukraine. Officials had announced earlier, plans to bring the mercenary group formally under the military command.

By Saturday things escalated further, Prigozhin announced that 25,000 of his troops -- which had been fighting in Ukraine -- were marching towards Moscow, what he called a "march for justice." Some Wagner Group troops reportedly made their way 60 miles into Russia.

Prigozhin later claimed he had seized the city of Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, where the military headquarters of the country’s southern region is located. He demanded that the military command speak with him, or he will continue his march towards Moscow.

Senior Russian officials reportedly warned that if Prigozhin's rebellion is successful, Russia's vast nuclear arsenal could fall into the hands of Wagner Group mercenaries and pose an existential threat to the world.

“The history of mankind hasn’t yet seen the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons under control by bandits,” Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin, said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. “Such a crisis will not be limited by just one country’s borders, the world will be put on the brink of destruction.”

He added that "we won't allow such a turn of events."

Putin who had been close to the Wagner Group's chief, was also not having it. In a televised address to his nation, he blasted Prigozhin's actions without mentioning his name, as treasonous rebellion, a “stab in the back.” The Russian leader promised to quash the “armed insurrection.”

“This battle, where the fate of our people is being decided, requires all our forces to be united; unity, consolidation and responsibility,” the Russian leader said in the nearly six-minute speech. “Everything that weakens us must be put to the side, any differences that may be used or are used by our enemies to disrupt us from within,” he said. 

Putin said that personal ambitions and interests had “led to treason,” and called the attack a betrayal of the country, people and cause that the mercenary soldiers had been fighting for. “It’s a blow against Russia, against our people. And our actions to defend the fatherland from such a threat will be brutal,” he said.

“All those who deliberately stepped on the path of betrayal, who prepared an armed insurrection, who took the path of blackmail and terrorist methods, will suffer inevitable punishment, will answer both to the law and to our people,” the Russian leader proclaimed.

Putin didn't have to wait long. Prigozhin apparently got the message. Or he was spooked by the relative ease with which his troops marched within Russia. Theories abound on the internet, on what actually went down. The mercenary chief abruptly announced through a post on social media that his troops are "turning our columns around … to avoid bloodshed."

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko reportedly revealed he had initiated negotiations with Prigozhin on behalf of and under the authorization of Putin.

The negotiations reportedly lasted throughout the day on Saturday. And the mercenary chief agreed to stop the movement of his troops toward Moscow.

A statement from the Belarusian government claimed: "At the moment, an absolutely profitable and acceptable option for solving the situation is on the table with security guarantees for the Wagner PMC fighters."

Prigozhin said in audio posted to social media on Saturday, that while his troops were just 120 miles from Moscow, he chose to turn back to avoid "shedding Russian blood." He has ordered his fighters to halt their march on Moscow and return to their bases in Ukraine.

Prigozhin's announcement seemingly puts an end to what observers called the most significant challenge to Putin's government in his 23 years in power. And many are skeptical that this is the end of the story for the mercenary chief, that he'll be let this easily off-the-hook by the Russian president.

PMC Wagner was founded in 2014 to assist in Crimea, and has continued to serve Russian interests across the globe, operating in Africa, Syria and other areas to help push Putin’s international goals. Many believed that Prigozhin funded the mercenary group. It’s leader at the time, Dmitry Utkin, had previously worked as Prigozhin’s head of security.

Prigozhin eventually claimed that he had indeed created the group.

WATCH Putin's and Prigozhin's remarks.