Wagner army chief Yevgeny Prigozhin aimed to detain the heads of the Russian military in last week's mutiny, but they discovered his planned rebellion early and avoided capture, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday. The newspaper cited Western officials saying that Prigozhin sought to seize archrivals Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defense minister, and chief of staff General Valery Gerasimov while they were on a visit to the south. But the Russian domestic security service FSB learned of the plan and Shoigu and Gerasimov changed their travel, the Journal said, citing unnamed officials. Also citing unnamed US officials, the New York Times reported that senior Russian General Sergei Surovikin knew in advance of Prigozhin's mutiny plans. The advance knowledge by top military officials could have prevented potential allies of Prigozhin and Wagner from joining the revolt, contributing to its failure.

Source: Daily Nation June 29, 2023 12:41 UTC