A group of Wagner forces allegedly diverted from their path to Moscow and headed towards a fortified Russian army base holding nuclear weapons, according to videos online and interviews with locals. However, it remains unconfirmed whether they actually reached the base. Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s head of military intelligence, claimed that the Wagner fighters did reach the base and intended to acquire small nuclear devices. Budanov stated that the only barrier between the fighters and the nuclear weapons were the closed doors to the storage facility. A source close to the Kremlin with military ties supported parts of Budanov’s account but did not provide further details. U.S. officials expressed doubt about the claim and stated that there was no indication that nuclear weapons were at risk. The Kremlin and Wagner commander Yevgeny Prigozhin did not respond to requests for comments.
Matt Korda, a Senior Research Associate at the Federation of American Scientists, stated that it would be highly unlikely for non-state actors to breach Russian nuclear security. He explained that even if the Wagner fighters reached the base, they would need specialized equipment and cooperation from those responsible for protecting Russia’s nuclear arsenal to detonate a bomb. Budanov’s claim that the Wagner fighters came close to acquiring nuclear weapons is the first of its kind and has raised concerns about the potential escalation of an armed mutiny. Russia has been committed to removing its backpack-sized nuclear weapons since the 1990s; however, some former U.S. nuclear nonproliferation officials expressed uncertainty about whether Russia kept its promise to destroy the weapons.
Wagner, founded by Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, has allowed Russia to involve itself in international conflicts with deniability, operating as a private army. The group has been involved in wars in countries such as Syria, Libya, and Mali. Prigozhin’s operations also included a social media troll factory that interfered with the 2016 American presidential election. Putin recently confirmed that the Russian state financed Wagner. Prigozhin initiated the mutiny when he accused the Russian military of launching a missile strike on a Wagner camp in Russian-occupied east Ukraine. The conflict is said to have been brewing for some time, with tensions between rival clans and financial issues playing a significant role. The trigger for the mutiny was allegedly Putin’s decision to cut Wagner’s funding, supported by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
