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by watwut 1091 days ago
He explicitly claimed he is not against Putin, but against military leadership. So, it is totally not a coup per Prigozhin.

It is kind of elementary school level of logic if you ask me, but it is the logic/argument Prigozhin is using.
3 comments
ithkuil 1091 days ago
So by this logic this is just a mutiny? To become a proper coup they would have to replace the government and the president who if I understand correctly is formally the leader of the military. In order to do that they should be marching towards the capital. Since this is what appears to be in progress, is it unreasonable to call it a "possible coup in progress"?
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watwut 1091 days ago
Not sure about mutiny, because he is not a soldier, technically. He is the leader of illegal but tolerated private mercenary company. (Yep Wagner are theoretically illegal per Russian law)

I am definitely not blaming anyone for calling it "possible coup" or "coup" or even "an attempt to start civil war". The original intent was to explain that coup in quotation marks is also alright term to use.

Edit: every single time I write "wagner are technically illegal in Russia" I get downvoted in HN. It is pattern at this point. So, guys, if that was reason for downvote, yep they are illegal per Russian law.

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bemusedthrow75 1091 days ago
It's certainly a novel situation.

I suppose you could call it a mutiny in the sense that Wagner is being told by the state that it is now explicitly under the command of Shoigu, and Prighozin is refusing, which has led to what is now happening: an attempt to put down a rebellion and a mutiny.

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jussij 1091 days ago
That was Prigozhin originally position. He offered support to the president and the government, just not Shoigu. But things might have changed since that first statement, because since then Putin has now come out on Russian TV denouncing the uprising and calling it high treason. So, it would appear things are starting to escalate.
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jiggywiggy 1091 days ago
Yeah interesting to see.

His videos are consistently insisting he is just defending and not hostile to Russia. Which is of course how he should position himself.

But Putin essentially gave him the death sentence so one or the other has to go.

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