Russian President Vladimir Putin, left and Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group. Photo: AFP / Sputnik
The New York Times is reporting a senior Russian General had prior knowledge of the attempted mutiny against Vladimir Putin by the Wagner group. It reports that US officials briefed on intelligence on the matter are trying to learn if General Sergey Surovikin, the former top Russian commander in Ukraine, helped plan last weekend's extraordinary, but short-lived mutiny led by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The Kremlin has dismissed the report as "speculation" and insisted Russia's army and people are unified around the President. The Wagner group leader is now in exile in Belarus following a deal struck by the Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Kathryn speaks to Owen Matthews, a veteran Moscow correspondent who penned the book Overreach about Vladimir Putin and the origins and motivations for going to war in Ukraine. He believes the Russian President's instinct will be to launch a purge on his enemies.
