(This story comprises language that readers could discover offensive in paragraph 5)
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founding father of the Wagner mercenary group, warned that Russia might face a revolution much like these of 1917 and lose the battle in Ukraine except the elite bought severe about combating the battle.
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has triggered one of many deadliest European conflicts since World Warfare Two and the largest confrontation between Moscow and the West because the 1962 Cuban Missile Disaster.
Ukraine is getting ready a counter-offensive aimed toward pushing Russian troops again to the borders of earlier than 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, Prigozhin stated. Ukraine would attempt to encircle Bakhmut and assault Crimea, he added.
“Almost definitely of all, this situation won’t be good for Russia so we have to put together for an arduous battle,” he stated in an interview posted on his Telegram channel.
“We’re in such a situation that we might fucking lose Russia – that’s the major drawback … We have to impose martial legislation.”
Prigozhin stated his political outlook was dominated by love for the motherland and serving Putin. He stated the nickname of “Putin’s chef” was silly as he could not cook dinner, quipping that “Putin’s butcher” could be a extra apt nickname.
Russia’s elite, he stated, protected their very own youngsters from combating the battle whereas the kids of abnormal Russians perished on the entrance, a scenario he stated that would set off turmoil in Russia.
If abnormal Russians continued getting their youngsters again in zinc coffins whereas the kids of the elite sunned themselves overseas, he stated, Russia would face turmoil alongside the traces of the 1917 revolutions which ushered in a civil battle.
(Reporting by Man Faulconbridge; Modifying by Andrew Heavens)