Wagner Ambushed by Shoigu's MoD, Russian Soldiers Taken Prisoner, Forced to Confess!
Yet another clever ploy to confuse Kiev!
Well, the headline says it all. You’d think I’d be embellishing a bit, but when it comes to any Wagner related headlines it always feels like I’m understating the gravity of the situation if anything.
The story is still unfolding, but here is what we know so far. Wagner troops came under fire from the 72nd, whom they share the frontline with. First, Wagner discovered that the road on which they were retreating was mined. Then, when they realized this and began digging up the mines, the 72nd opened fire on them. But, Wagner turned the ambush around on the attackers. Wagner ended up capturing their attackers, beating them up, and forcing them to confess front of a camera:
In his confession video, this Lt. Colonel claims that he acted on his own motivations. That he simply disliked Wagner and decided to order the men under him to attack them. All I can say to that is that I hope you understand that this is a rather suspect retelling of the events. A man decides to go rogue and attack a powerful PMC while they are in the middle of a public spat with the MoD? I mean, connect the dots here people for Chrissakes. Either Wagner staged a false flag attack on themselves or the MoD ordered it.
… or it is an elaborate kayfabe psy-op against Kiev, of course /sarc.
Prigozhin believes that Wagner was attacked.
The fact that the Lt. Colonel was intoxicated simply proves to me that he had a hard time forcing himself to fulfill his orders to attack Russian troops. The spooks probably had some serious dirt on him or threatened his family. Nothing would surprise me.
Or, he really is a cretin that can be bought and told to do unconscionable things. Apparently, he already had a reputation for being a butcher and sending his men on suicide charges on inane orders. But then again, so did Prigozhin, if we are being honest. I think that this is just how the war is being fought on both sides. No concern for soldiers’ lives has been shown by either Moscow or Kiev. Probably because both sides are run by the same non-Slav tribe, idk, what do you think? Basically, the orders come down from on high to take or hold a position and the officers are threatened with death or imprisonment for not acting on these orders. A good officer would refuse regardless, but most good officers have been systematically purged under Shoigu it seems like.
Either way, here we are again, taking one step closer to another Time of Troubles.
And yet, the Z-infowarriors remain as oblivious as ever. All I hear is smug chuckling from them, always. But the smuckling will turn into a surprised gurgle soon enough.
I’m sure that more info will surface soon and this will be a developing drama. We will follow it closely together.
Not totally sold that Wagner took Soledar, Bakhmuts etc via meat storm. For a meat storm to really work the stormers need a respectable advantage in manpower and I don't think that's ever been the case for the Russian side ever. If anything Wagner had parity with the Ukrainians in the best cases and was often outnumbered. This would of course apply to MoD units as well wherever they are on the line.
Whats made Wagner more successful imo is just that unlike MoD they are a decently run organisation from top to bottom. For example when Wagner actually has enough artillery ammo their stormaviki can call for support directly with no middle men. MoD have no encrypted comms at all as a rule and often just no comms what so ever between units bigger than platoons. Wagner does have comms. Utkin, Lotus, and even Prigozhin himself seem to well respected with in Wagner. If they had the reputation for being merciless butchers of their own men would that be the case?
Theres no doubt at all Wagners casualties are high and if you are a stormaviki you have a pretty good chance of being maimed or killed before your contract is up. But thats because you will be expected to defeat opponents who outnumber and gun you who are fighting defense in urban terrian. That is there isnt anything especially impressive about zerg rush meat assault victories, but Wagners achievements actually are fairly impressive considering the odds stacked against them. And again this is a tribute to Wagner just having fairly competent leadership from top to bottom whereas with MoD units the competent leadership is absent above the company level in most cases.
Every day it feels more and more like the real war is between Russian oligarchic factions. The US doesn't even care anymore and are just hoping this wraps up on a high note before elections.