The Putin Loyalist Who Was the Target of Wagner’s Revolt
- Sergei Shoigu has been Putin’s defense minister since 2012
- Prigozhin wants Shoigu, Gerasimov to quit over war failings
As Vladimir Putin’s former caterer marched on Moscow Saturday, his declared goal was the resignation of the men in charge of Russia’s disastrous war in Ukraine — Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and armed forces chief Valery Gerasimov.
Days after his uprising unraveled, Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is still determined to push them out even as he has denied plotting to overthrow the government.