In an exclusive interview with CNN , the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that the country’s intelligence obtained information about the adhesion of the Russians to the riot carried out by the Wagner Group last month. According to this information, the Kremlin was evaluating support for Yevgeny Prigozhin – head of the paramilitary group, and found that it had the support of half the population.
The uprising saw Wagner’s fighters, led by Prigozhin, take control of military installations in two Russian cities and march towards Moscow before a secret deal with the Kremlin abruptly ended the rebellion. Prigozhin withdrew his forces and has since been exiled to Belarus.
The incident was widely framed by Western analysts as a threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s veneer of total control, with speculation about what it could mean for the war as Ukraine continues its slow counteroffensive.
“Half of Russia supported Prigozhin. Half of Russia supported Putin,” Zelensky told CNN . “Some of the Russian regions were balancing themselves in the meantime not really knowing who to support.”
“We all see this process which shows that half of the Russian population is in serious doubt,” he added.
While Russian public support for the war remains high, this rift was illustrated towards the end of the uprising, when Prigozhin and his Wagner fighters prepared to depart the city of Rostov-on-Don.
A video verified and geolocated by CNN showed Prigozhin’s vehicle pulling to a stop as a resident approached to shake hands with the Wagner leader; All around them, the villagers cheered.
Source: CNN Brasil
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