Joe Biden has been briefed on the chaotic situation in Russia with US officials describing it as “serious”.

The president was being kept informed as Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was accused by Moscow of launching an armed rebellion.

A White House National Security Council spokesman said: “We are monitoring the situation and will be consulting with allies and partners on these developments.”

A US official told CNN this crisis was “real” but the Pentagon and White House were waiting to see how it developed.

Steve Hall, former CIA chief of Russia operations, said it was in a “different league” to Prigozhin’s previous complaints against the Russian military hierarchy.

    • socphoenix@midwest.social
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      1 year ago

      This sounds so bizarre. Assuming the attack wasn’t some stupidly convoluted false flag, Wagner can’t actually be stupid enough to think Putin won’t retaliate, can they?

    • Papamousse@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      It’s a masquerade. Wagner is controlled by GRU, and Poutine control GRU with an iron glove. This is just to kick choigou and guerassimov.

      • maynarkh@feddit.nl
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        1 year ago

        Kinda stupid way to do that, I mean they shot down multiple attack helicopters, sent cruise missiles against their own troops, and moved a lot of troops off the front during the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

        It’s infighting and shows Putin’s weakness no matter how many layers of bullshit is under this.