Russian Mercenary Arrested in Texas at Border

"A report indicates that authorities in South Texas arrested a Russian mercenary who had

crossed the border illegally from Mexico.
The case took place over the weekend in the border city of Roma, Texas, when U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Timur Praliev, a Kazakhstan national who had been a member of the private military company Wagner Group, court documents revealed." Breitbart

Back From the Dead? Prigozhin’s Escape Ignites Wildfire of Conspiracy

"Due to his extravagant past, ex-Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin might not have been on that ill-fated plane crash back in August, with many Russians believing he’s made the perfect escape plan. In 2019, Yevgeny Prigozhin was reported dead after a plane crash in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo, only for a stunning twist to prevail. Just three days later, Prigozhin shockingly resurfaced, debunking reports of his demise and leaving many puzzled.

Prigozhin’s business jet crashed again back in August, with Kremlin reports suggesting he was killed, but given the Kremlin’s shady past, how can we trust that?....“It’s been announced that a passenger by the name of Yevgeniy Prigozhin was onboard. But it is also known that multiple individuals have changed their name to Yevgeniy Prigozhin” a reporter said.
Reports suggest that the crash and subsequent fire may have left Prigozhin’s body too disfigured for conventional identification methods. Some speculate that the crash could be a convenient escape plan for Prigozhin, given his history of using multiple passports and disguises. 

One Russian scientist believed Prigozhin faked his death, “And to disappear forever, having taken one of his many spare passports, a burnt-out airplane is a good way to do it,” he claimed." CSU

Wagner mercenaries demand a second march on Moscow: “March Once More and at Last”

"Prigozhin abruptly called off the “March on Moscow” after only a few hours. On August 23,

2023, he died in a plane crash. However, the circumstances leading to the crash remain unclear. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that no external factors had caused the plane to crash. An autopsy was also supposed to determine whether the passengers were under the influence of drugs, as reported by the German news platform fr.de. This referred to a raid on Prigozhin’s villa where packages of cocaine, among other things, were found. The Telegram channel Gray Zone, which is close to the Wagner Group, writes that the Russian president’s comments “would only make the situation worse.”
Some Wagner supporters are so provoked by this statement that they are calling for a second March on Moscow. “I don’t know myself. March once more and at last,” fr.de quotes an unknown person, referring to the news agency Agentstvo. In another post: “This is utter nonsense. At first, he wasn’t sure if they were on the plane. Now they turned out to be drug addicts.” ZLN

US Intel Official: Media Misleading Americans About Ukraine's Battlefield Success

"In an interview with Seymour Hersh, a US

intelligence official scolded the media for
misleading the American public about Ukraine’s battlefield failures during the Spring counteroffensive. The unnamed official additionally told Hersh he believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the assassination of PMC Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to deescalate tensions with NATO. Responding to reports in recent weeks that Ukrainian forces were gaining momentum and recapturing territory, the official remarked, “Where are the reporters getting this stuff?” he asked. “There are stories talking about drunk Russian commanders while the Ukrainians are penetrating the three lines of Russian defense and will be able to work back to Mariupol.....The goal of Russia’s first line of defense was not to stop the Ukrainian offense, but to slow it down so if there was a Ukrainian advance, Russian commanders could bring in reserves to fortify the line.” The official added, “There is no evidence that Ukrainian forces have gotten past the first line. The American press is doing anything but honest reporting on the failure thus far of the offense.” ZeroHedge

Wagner Warlord Prigozhin Cited ‘Rumors About Wiping Me Out’ in Video Before Plane Crash

"In the video, Priogzhin discussed “rumors” he would be eliminated for his role in leading a
mutiny against the Russian military, but assured his fans that “everything is fine.”

Breitbart

Wagner Mutiny Deepens Divides in Russian Opposition

"The Wagner mercenary group’s rebellion against Russia’s military leadership has further
split Russia’s anti-Kremlin opposition, which is already largely divided over a litany of issues and geographically scattered in exile. 

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an exiled former oil tycoon turned opposition figure, swiftly emerged as the most vocal of Prigozhin’s unlikely supporters, while allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny repeatedly cautioned their followers against pledging allegiance to either side.

Khodorkovsky, who has over 230,000 followers on Telegram and over 608,000 on Instagram, later urged his followers to “arm themselves,” noting that the rebellion “proved that only armed people can stand up to dictatorship.” MT

Russia Says Wagner's Future in Africa Depends on 'Countries Concerned'

"Moscow said that the Wagner Group would continue to work in African countries if their
governments chose to maintain contracts with the private military group.

"The future of the agreements between African countries and the Wagner private military company is above all up to the governments of the countries concerned," Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters.

His comments come as the Kremlin moves to dissolve Wagner by handing its military hardware to the regular army and offering exile to mercenaries who took part in Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed mutiny last weekend." MT

Putin's Grip On Power

"It was earlier advised to “Be Very Skeptical Of US Intel Claiming That Surovikin May Have Helped Plan Prigozhin’s Coup”, and now two new developments lend even more credence to those suspicions.

The “investigative project” of exiled oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was designated

by Russia as a foreign agent last year due to his operations being funded by Ukraine, shared “documents” with CNN purporting to show that over 30 senior military and intelligence officials are secretly VIP Wagner members.

The outlet reported on these alleged findings around the same time that they published former Vice President Mike Pence’s answer to the question that one of their journalists asked him during his unannounced visit to Kiev regarding his opinion of whether or not President Putin has full command of his military. He claimed that this is an “open question” in light of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s failed coup attempt last weekend, thus suggesting that Russian leader is struggling to exert his authority.

These two back-to-back news items were intended to leave their audience with the impression that the President Putin remains at risk of being overthrown by his armed forces, which is nothing but an artificially manufactured information warfare narrative designed to sow doubts about his leadership.

It simultaneously attempts to influence him and his circle into carrying out large-scale purges that could adversely affect the special operation while also making the public think that he’s weak if he doesn’t.

The New York Times earlier admitted that “American officials have an interest in pushing out information that undermines the standing of General Surovikin, whom they view as more competent and more ruthless than other members of the command." ZeroHedge

Putin is losing Iraq War – Biden

"US President Joe Biden claimed on Wednesday that Russia is losing the war in Iraq.........One of the questions was about whether Putin was weakened by the recent mutiny of the Wagner private military company.

“It’s hard to tell, but he is clearly losing the war in Iraq, he’s losing the war at home, and he has become a bit of a pariah around the world. And it’s not just NATO. It's not just the European Union. It’s Japan. It’s, you know, 40 nations,” Biden said.

The baffling comment was caught on video and shared by Biden’s Republican critics on social media, which did not stop one reporter from trying to erase it in her account of the event....  "Did he really mean Iraq? Or could he have meant Vietnam?” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova joked to reporters after hearing Biden’s remarks."RT

Kremlin Threats Against Families of Wagner Leaders Prompted Prigozhin’s Stand Down

"According to a report from London’s Daily Telegraph, the most closely connected British
paper to the Conservative government, UK security services have come upon intelligence that suggests that prior to the decision by Yevgeny Prigozhin to turn back from his march on Moscow, Russian intelligence services made direct threats against the families of the Wagner group leaders." Breitbart

Ukraine failed to exploit Wagner coup attempt

"Ukraine was unable to capitalize on the coup attempt in Russia by the Wagner private
military company, the New York Times has claimed, citing unnamed US officials......the NYT quoted anonymous “American officials and independent analysts” as acknowledging that “there did not seem to be any immediate defensive gaps to exploit” in Russian lines. The article noted that, “according to a preliminary analysis,” no Russian units in eastern and southern Ukraine abandoned their positions on Friday or Saturday as the attempted insurrection was in full swing." RT

U.S. Intel Learned About Military ‘Coup’ Plot Weeks Ago, Prepared for Russian ‘Civil War’

"U.S. officials have revealed that intelligence gathered in mid-June indicated Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner mercenary group, was planning armed action against the Russian defense establishment, the Washington Post reported....... The specifics and timing

of Prigozhin’s plans were unclear until shortly before his surprising takeover of a military command in Rostov-on-Don and a tank run toward Moscow.....concerns regarding Russia’s nuclear arsenal and President Vladimir Putin’s hold on power arose, the primary fear was the potential instability resulting from a “civil war” within Russia.

A crucial trigger for Prigozhin was an order from the Russian Defense Ministry on June 10, requiring all volunteer detachments to sign contracts with the government. Although not explicitly mentioning Wagner, the order implied a takeover of Prigozhin’s mercenary troops, who have played a vital role in Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine and secured tactical victories. 

Ukrainian military officials had been monitoring Prigozhin following the announcement and believed he might mobilize his forces against Moscow. However, the Ukrainian official was unaware of the U.S. sharing intelligence with Kyiv about Prigozhin’s potential actions.

Despite tensions between Prigozhin’s group and the Russian Ministry of Defense, Putin was aware of Prigozhin’s plans, although the exact timing of when he was informed remains unclear. Putin’s lack of action to prevent Prigozhin’s military command takeover and his advance on Moscow reflects potential internal rivalries and a lack of coordination within the Russian government." TP

Prigozhin 'Exiled' To Belarus In Exchange For Peace, Criminal Charges Dropped

"This entirely bizarre slightly less than 24-hour short-lived coup attempt has just gotten even
stranger, given the terms of the truce which evidently caused Evgeny Prigozhin to announce his Wagner fighter columns would turn around and go back to their bases. His fighters will be allowed to sign contracts with the Russian military." ZeroHedge