Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, sparked controversy after he said in an interview with Reuters that Wagner’s mercenaries approached a Russian nuclear base during last month’s uprising.

Reuters notes that from videos published on social networks and interviews with local residents, it is clear that part of the Wagner convoy, which was headed for Moscow on June 24, turned east onto the road leading to a fortified Russian base where nuclear weapons are stored.

But after Prigozhin’s mercenaries arrived in the countryside, they could no longer be traced, they were last seen at a distance of about 100 kilometers from the Voronezh-45 nuclear base.

But Kyrylo Budanov said in an exclusive interview published by Reuters that Wagner’s militants went further, arriving at the nuclear base with the intention of seizing Soviet-era nuclear devices to “raise the stakes” for their insurgency.

“Because if you’re willing to fight to the last, it’s one of the facilities that really raises the stakes,” he said.

Budanov also stated that in the end the mercenaries were unable to carry out their plan because the gates of the facility where the nuclear weapons are stored were closed and they could not get past them.

Conflicting information about the alleged attempt of Wagner’s mercenaries to penetrate the nuclear base

Reuters states that it has not been able to independently establish whether the “Wagners” really reached the Voronezh-45 base, but the information was partially confirmed by a source close to the Russian armed forces.

According to her, the contingent of Wagner’s group “managed to get to the area of ​​special interest” and that this “excited the Americans because of the fact that nuclear ammunition is stored there.” The source cited by Reuters declined to provide further details.

Another source in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine, who Reuters said was familiar with the alleged incident, told the news agency’s reporters that the situation had caused concern in the Kremlin and prompted President Vladimir Putin’s administration to move quickly to a deal with Prigozhin, Oleksandr Oleksandr announced on the evening of June 24. Lukashenko, who acted as a mediator.

Asked by Reuters about Wagner’s mercenaries heading to the Voronezh nuclear base, White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge denied the report.

“We cannot confirm this information. We had no indication that weapons or nuclear materials were at risk,” he said.

Experts are skeptical of General Kyril Budanov’s statements

Some experts also expressed skepticism about this version of events.

Matt Korda, a researcher and head of the Nuclear Information Project of the Federation of American Scientists, told Reuters that it would be “virtually impossible” for a non-state actor to get into a Russian nuclear facility.

Korda also noted that Wagner’s mercenaries would still only find unassembled nuclear weapons for security reasons, and that they would need nuclear specialists to be able to arm them.

But according to General Budanov, at the heart of the “Voronezh-45” are small nuclear devices that can be carried in a backpack, a “relic” of Soviet times.

“This was one of the key storage locations for these backpacks,” he said, without providing evidence. Reuters also recalls that in the early 1990s, both the US and Russia agreed to eliminate this type of nuclear weapon from their arsenals as tensions eased after the end of the Cold War.

Russia’s nuclear arsenal is guarded by elite troops

Several US officials consulted by Reuters said it was difficult to assess with 100% certainty whether the Russians had indeed destroyed all the “nuclear backpacks”.

“I don’t think the Russians have them anymore, but I wouldn’t bet my life on it,” said David Jonas, former general counsel for the US Nuclear Security Administration.

Historian Mark Galeotti, one of the most respected Western experts on Russia, also expressed skepticism about Budanov’s story.

Galeotti, in turn, recalled that the “nuclear backpacks” date back to the 1960s and 70s, noting on his Twitter page that it is “highly doubtful” that they are still functional, as they require constant maintenance due to radiation affecting electronics of their systems.

In addition, he says that Russian nuclear storage facilities are well protected, protected by elite soldiers of the 12th Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense. They are specially trained to defend Russia’s nuclear arsenal against a wide range of threats, including armed attacks.

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