THE Wagner group’s attempted coup was the most dramatic moment in Russia since Communist leader Mikhail Gorbachev fell three decades ago.
As many as eight aircraft appear to have been shot down by the mercenaries.
But Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s decision to call off his march on Moscow and go into exile in Belarus does not mean the infighting is over. Far from it.
Armed factions within the Russian military are at each other’s throats — and that can only be good news for Ukraine.
For months Prigozhin had been complaining about Valery Gerasimov — commander of Russian armed forces — and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu undermining his troops.
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His thugs captured and beat up Roman Venevitin, commander of Russia’s 72nd brigade, after making him admit he launched an assault on a Wagner convoy while drunk.
Prigozhin was proud of a video he shared of his soldiers interrogating the senior officer.
There is also evidence that the Donetsk and Luhansk paramilitary groups and the regular army shot at each other during the battle for Bakhmut.
They constantly struggle with each other over ammunition, fuel — and even food.
And their corrupt leaders have fallen out over the spoils of war, arguing over which territories they get to attack and which offer the best plunder.
Chechan leader Ramzan Kadyrov, who controls some of the fiercest pro-Putin fighters, also hit out at the Wagner group.
He turned on his old comrade Prigozhin and was prepared to send his Chechens to stop the Wagner fighters’ march on Moscow.
We have yet to hear from General Gerasimov.
If he is still in charge of the war effort, he has problems keeping his forces in check.
It will be almost impossible for him to integrate 50,000 Wagner fighters into the regular army.
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There is now no trust between the mercenaries and the military command.
Wagner’s experienced fighters earn twice as much as regular troops and are unlikely to accept a cut in wages.
There are better opportunities for Prigozhin’s men.
They could opt to join his forces in Libya, Mali or Sudan.
Ukraine could have one less set of murderous killers to worry about.
Ukraine will also take heart from President Putin’s indecisiveness.
Prigozhin appeared to face little resistance on his march to Moscow because it took so long for the dictator to publicly denounce him.
Russian troops would not fire on Wagner’s men without orders from the top.
How long Putin can survive, who might replace him and who is in charge of the Russian military are questions yet to be answered.
