US fears for Russian nuclear weapons during Wagner coup

Sarmat missile system in Moscow

The United States feared that Vladimir Putin would lose control of his nuclear arsenal during an attempted coup in Evgeny Prigozhin's Russia.

Intelligence officers received information that Wagner's chief and his mercenaries were planning a coup 10 days ago, but were not sure of the exact timing.

«However, there were enough signals to tell the (American) leadership that something was wrong, ”the Washington Post quotes a US intelligence official.

Sources say the US government chose not to. to intervene to avoid the escalation of a dangerous situation that threatens civil war.

Mr. Putin controls Russian nuclear missiles, followed by a security officer who carries a «nuclear suitcase» with triggers.

< img src="/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ce4ff50c893d824d6763d20743507d14.jpg" />A still from a December 31 Russian television broadcast shows a set of briefcases containing codes to launch Russia's nuclear missile arsenal. Photo: STR New

“You want to know who controls nuclear weapons. because you're worried that terrorists or bad guys like Kadyrov might come after them,” said Daniel Hoffman, a former high-ranking CIA officer.

Ramzan Kadyrov is a field commander in Chechnya.

Spuskovym The hook for Saturday's coup attempt was the Kremlin's June 10 order that mercenaries must sign a contract to serve in the regular Russian army.

U.S. officials said they were monitoring Wagner's coup attempt. since then.

“We have all seen Mr. Prigozhin publicly criticize and even threaten the Russian military on numerous occasions,” the US media quoted a White House spokesman as saying.

Mr. Prigozhin and his fighters said that their rebellion was directed only against the highest Russian military command.

On Saturday morning they captured Rostov in southern Russia and then moved towards Moscow before stopping and disbanding.

military car on the street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24.

Reports said that Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus, negotiated a deal that allowed Mr. Prigozhin to reverse his coup.

He agreed to move into exile in Belarus on the condition that his Wagner mercenaries stay independent of the Ministry of Defense.

The Kremlin seems to have ensured that Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov retain their positions as Russian defense ministers and supreme military commanders.

“If Prigozhin intended to drive a wedge between the command of the Russian Armed Forces and the Kremlin, he has failed,” one Western official told the Washington Post. was supposed to take place on Tuesday, fearing the strengthening of Putin's position.