Prigozhin planned to take Russian high military leadership captive – Wall Street Journal

Yevgeny Prigozhin, Head of Wagner Private Military Company (PMC), intended to take Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov captive during his attempted military uprising.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, citing Western officials

Details: According to Western officials, Prigozhin planned that Shoigu and Gerasimov would be captured during their planned visit to the southern region of Russia bordering Ukraine. But the Federal Security Service discovered this plan two days earlier.

Viktor Zolotov, the commander of the Russian National Guard, claims that data was leaked from the Prigozhin camp. At the same time, it is known that the head of the PMC learned that his plan had been revealed and was forced to start the operation earlier.

According to Western officials, Prigozhin announced his intentions to someone in the top military leadership of the Russian Federation, including General Sergei Surovikin.

It has not yet been possible to establish the source that leaked this information to the FSB, whether it was Surovkin himself or somebody else.