The world saw the largest staged performance in the name of the ‘Coup of Russia Featuring the Wagner Militia‘. This theatrical performance was led from the front by Yevgeny Prigozhin, Mr. Putin’s long-trusted friend, advisor, and chef. The Fake Coup began and ended without any real action on the ground. No internal skirmishes, no loss of life, and no damage to crucial Russian military equipment.
The Western powerhouses went mad with delight at the prospect of a faultline on the Russian front. The Kyiv administrations and media rubbed their hands in anticipation of bloodshed within the Russian forces. However, they were all disappointed when the supposed rebellion of the Wagners did not bleed Russia of resources or manpower.
Why was the Wagner Rebellion a Fake Coup?
The Wagner rebellion can be assumed as Putin’s attempt to throw Mr. Zelensky and Ukraine off their game. As the fake coup mastermind, Mr. Putin probably kept the West focused on the ongoing ‘coup’ while accomplishing his hidden agendas. His actions showcase the famous saying, ‘Deception is an Integral Part of the Art of War.’
The fact that Yevgeny Prigozhin has been making public noises, about lack of ammunition and provisions for the past six months, is a pointer towards the fact this coup was a hoax. How can a group of under-provisioned men stage a coup? Moreover, 25,000 Wagner mercenaries were able to march toward Moscow in broad daylight. How is this possible without any opposition from the Russian forces? These are indicators that this move was a grand sham.
Additionally, the aim of the Wagner troops was to attempt a coup without using any air-defense systems, air power, or support from the other mechanized military systems. This is a clear indicator of how unconvincing this ‘coup’ was.
Once the hoax was complete, all the dancers participating in this Russian Khorovod round-robin dance; like the Wagner militia, Mr. Prigozhin, and others; went back to their predestined positions. The Wagner militia continues to fight for Russia under Putin. They do not face any punishment for their roles in this failed stage-managed coup. All charges against Yevgeny Prigozhin have been dropped. Apparently, the Belarusian President had a hand in this pardon. These actions directly showcase the absolute power of Vladimir Putin in Russia. Thus no matter what anyone says, it was definitely the first successful Fake Coup in the history of the modern world.
What did Mr. Putin gain out of staging this Grand Scam?
Vladimir Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin met 9 days ago in a reportedly ‘productive’ discourse. Thus, it seems they planned this sham coup to stir up the West and Mr. Zelensky. They purposefully pushed news of lack of arms & ammunition and dissent among ranks to draw out enemy forces to meet a possible total annihilation. Moreover, they probably wanted to draw out any moles and defectors in the Russian establishments themselves.
During this grand deception, the Chechen militia which was moving towards Wagner army in a supposed counter-offensive conveniently joined with them. This move may have placed the Russian mercenary troops south of Moscow, across the Belgorod region, to possibly start a campaign towards Kharkiv, also known as Kharkov. Mr. Prigozhin is supposedly on his way to Belarus. This leads to suspicions of Russia’s use of proxies and mercenaries to infiltrate Kyiv from the Belarusian side. Now Russia can easily mobilize its reserves without alerting the enemy to a mass movement of its troops. It sounds like a parody of the Russian poem ‘The Muddlehead’, the lines run:
Is it Kharkov or is it Kyiv? Peturshky a man replied…Â
With the Fake Coup, Mr. Putin has managed to successfully gain the sympathy of his citizens. He has managed to resurrect patriotism in the armed forces of Russia. He probably accomplished his hidden maneuvers against Ukraine while the world was focused on the Wagners’ march to Moscow. Furthermore, he has managed to hoodwink the watchful West and Ukraine into probably placing their bets on the wrong battle to win the war. Therefore, all that is now left to do is to watch the art of war showcasing Mr. Vladimir Putin and the Russian army as they make their next move in the great war against Ukraine and the West.