The toxic cocktail of jealousy, rivalry and ambition that gave rise to the Wagner mutiny has been months, if not years, in the making.
Prigozhin is a creation of the Kremlin. Since he formed the Wagner mercenary group in 2014, he has become a key tool of Putin’s desire to reimpose Russian influence across the globe.
Putin allowed him to build up his own power base, and he has reserved a particular hatred for the head of the military, Valery Gerasimov, and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu for years.
Vladimir Putin was content to let it continue. He has long permitted competing power centres to fight among each other for influence, believing that it would prevent one faction from gaining enough prominence to challenge him directly.
But in recent months, Putin’s long-held strategy has appeared to fray.
Shoigu has had a plan he hoped would reduce his adversary’s influence for good, announcing that “volunteer formations” would be asked to sign contracts directly with the ministry of defence.
The move will have set off alarm bells in Prigozhin’s head. His troops soon escalated their campaign against the regular military.
