Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said he believes Moscow is at the beginning of a “moment of transition” to power after last month’s failed uprising by the Wagner group, CNN reported.

members of Wagner’s group in RostovPhoto: STRINGER / AFP / Profimedia

“This coup is a real illustration of the fact that the regime in the Kremlin has become weaker. That is, they are no longer as strong as they were a year ago. I think we’re going to see a continuation of this so-called conflict,” he told CNN.

In late June, Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin led an armed uprising, and while it failed, it raised doubts about the effectiveness, will, and even loyalty of some Russian units.

Asked if he had witnessed people from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s entourage vying for office to replace him, Reznikov said: “I think the conflict between them has started.”

Prigozhin’s whereabouts were unknown, but a video emerged last week showing him welcoming his fighters in Belarus, his first public appearance since leading an armed uprising in Russia last month.

The video is grainy and shot in low light, so it’s impossible to tell exactly what Prigozhin is saying and when it was filmed, CNN reports.

CIA Director Bill Burns also said last week that he believed Prigozhin was now in Minsk, Belarus, and predicted that the Wagner leader would eventually face “retribution” from Putin.

  • Follow the latest events of the war in Ukraine LIVETEXT on HotNews.ro