Shoigu Humiliates Prigozhin

• 11.01.2023, 8:14

The struggle of military groups for power in the Kremlin has reached a new level.

Russia witnessed the momentous return of General Alexander Lapin, who had been blamed for the fiasco of the Russian occupation troops in Kharkiv Oblast a few months earlier. Despite the shameful defeat, Lapin was appointed Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces of the Russian Armed Forces. This personnel decision again escalated the confrontation between the so-called Kremlin towers. Lapin is the man of Defense Minister Shoigu, while his greatest internal enemy is the head of the Wagner PMC, Prigozhin. Political strategist Yaroslav Makitra shares his opinion on the air of Apostrof TV about the reasons for the clan struggle in Russia and who has more muscles and strength.

General Lapin is a man of the Shoigu-Gerasimov group. Once, after the defeat of Russian troops in Kharkiv Oblast, Lapin was much opposed by the head of Chechnya Kadyrov, representatives of the Wagner PFC and many different Russian so-called war correspondents and bloggers.

At the time, he was effectively removed. However, his appointment now - albeit not to a front-line position, but a fairly bread-and-butter one that allows one to feel well in the Kremlin realities - shows that the Shoigu-Gerasimov group does not give up and retains a serious influence.

Whereas previously there was talk and, shall we say, expectations that Prigozhin and Kadyrov could oust Shoigu, it is useless to talk about this now. Lapin's return is just another proof of that. An indicative sign that Shoigu retains his influence, and all is not well with Kadyrov and Prigozhin, is that Shoigu, Gerasimov, and other people from this wing were present at the ceremony before the new year, when the so-called heroes of the Russian Federation were awarded. No one who criticizes Shoigu and the wing was present there at the time. Meanwhile, one can now expect a new wave of criticism of Gerasimov's opponents and a new round of internal. struggle in Russia, which has been waging for several months now.

It is obvious that the system erected by the Russian top officials - a certain conglomerate of businessmen, bandits, and special services - functioned publicly as a single mechanism before the war. These conflicts that we observe today come out against the background of the war, defeats on the frontlines, and very ambiguous actions. This is why there are groups of influence, the so-called Kremlin towers, which are now clearly revealing. Of course, a situation deterioration on the front will only spur these conflicts. And the expected defeats of Russians on the front will continue to affect the internal Kremlin kitchen.

Just the other day, a number of Russian bloggers pounced on Girkin-Strelkov, who also is quick on the draw. That is, the level of confrontation only gains momentum and scale after each defeat. The Kremlin now has no control over those war correspondents or their information space.

As for opposing Lapin to Surovikin, who replaced him after the defeat in Kharkiv Oblast - it signals that Shoigu retains his position and it was a matter of principle for him to keep his people on key positions. Yes, they do not affect the front directly, but they are close to Shoigu. Meanwhile, Surovikin is increasingly criticized. He is called a threat to transformers, even though earlier people pinned hopes on him, and used to call him as Armageddon and the like. Now, a lot of people mock him, because all he could do was kick transformers. His position has definitely weakened. It happened after they fled from Kherson. They can talk all they want about great successes and successful regroupings. But there is a fact.

Another proof that Shoigu is regaining his positions is strengthening the role of the PMC Patriot. But this is not just about Shoigu. Now everyone who has a resource in Russia is trying to support oneself with such private armies.

In 2014, there was something similar in Ukraine. When we had a weak army, and many formed actually private battalions. We had a lot of problems until unified army control was established. And Russia moves in the opposite direction - from a professional army they establish separate units. And everyone who sees or wants to see some kind of future in Russia is trying to form such a unit. To both defend themselves and to be able to influence the situation. And today the Russians have a very serious problem with the cadres among the military - we have exterminated a huge number of both the officer personnel and the top leaders. But they do not fix it. On the contrary - personnel go to PMCs. This also plays a role in the weakening of the Russian army.

As for Kadyrov, one should mention that when the war began, they were afraid to call his name out loud. People were less afraid, even of Putin. One often used to frighten people who disagreed with the Russian regime with the name of Kadyrov. But it's very hard and complicated to make a hero out of a Chechen. And it didn't really fit in with the Kremlin's agenda. The same Prigozhin fit in, because his style is fully consistent with the Russian goons, who are actually leading the internal war and the war against Ukraine. For example, the army of convicts, their style of communication, management, even warfare. They are so straightforward, using foul language, with a bottle of vodka, etc. - typical Russians. If at the beginning of the war we remember the Kadyrov fighters, now quite quickly the so-called ordinary Russians have replaced them in the war. That's what modern Russia is like.

Kadyrov was pushed to the sidelines. Moreover, if I'm not mistaken, Kadyrov met with Putin only once in the last six months. There was an interesting moment - Putin stood ten meters away from Kadyrov, while Kadyrov served it as a great meeting. It proves that now he's not part of Putin's inner circle. Now Kadyrov, as before, is focused on the head of the Rosgvardia, Zolotov. This is like a separate line of control group.