WEDNESDAY 23 AUGUST 2023

Russia

• Prigozhin has been reported on the list of passengers in fatal plane crash.  We do not know he was on the plane.
• He may have disappeared.
• Official government press releases and statements indicate that Prigozhin was on the plane.
• CNN reporter says that is as close a confirmation you can get, talking about state releases.
• CNN is reporting that there were other high level Wagner Group members on the plane.
• 1;31 PM
• He met with Putin shortly after the revolt.  He then went to Africa.
• At a security forum, Sec. Blinken said almost joking that Russia had an “open window” strategy.
• It is possible that Putin just figured out how to replace Prigozhin and take over the Wagner Group operations. 
• Col. Cedric Leighton on CNN.  This is going to have bit effect on the war on Ukraine.  Wagner was running the show in Bakhmut. He was responsible for that bright stop.  If decimated, the group, significant effect on war effort.  (Northeastern Ukraine will have trouble controlling).
• There are drone strikes in Moscow, the Russians appear to have been really on top of this story. 
• Potential power struggle by those at top.  Russian State Media.
• 1:38
• If Prigozhin was not on the plane, but it was shot down, Prigozhin needs to lay low to see what’s going on.

Newsweek (8/23/23)

• “Wagner Chief Prigozhin Reported Dead After Russian Force Shoot down Plane: 1:32 zpm
• (Note : This is a deceptive Headline because later in the article they say that they cannot confirm that the plane was shot down.)
• There were 10 passengers.
• The private plane was traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg, according to Tass, the Russian state-sponsored media.
• There is another plane belonging to Prigozhin which landed near Moscow.
• The Kyiv Post is reporting that there will be another “March of Justice” by Wagner fighters if Prigozhin is really dead.
• Reports also indicate that a high-ranking commander and close Prigozhin ally, Dmitry Utkil, was also killed.
• Prigozhin had just released a new video put out by Gray Zone, teased a “mission” in Africa involving mercenaries and expanded footprint for Wagner.
•  

Twitter

Anton Gerashchenko

• Wagner troops will try to get revenge on Putin and Shoigu for the death of Prigozhin.
• (Note: Earlier on television is was said that the plane had only one wing, but video released by Anton shows two wings all the way to the ground.)
• Russian Military Blogger: Prigozhin felt absolutely safe.  He was on his way to negotiate about Africa.  He was proposing a breakthrough.

Michael Weiss

• There are reminders on Twitter that the Russian elite does not understand the mood of the military and that the assassination will have “catastrophic consequences.”

Igor Sushko

• This stinks of Prigozhin’s own plot  to disappear.
• Bodies of Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin are reportedly found near crash site.

Dumb Russian Bot

• Surovikin is officially fired.  We don’t know whether he’s still under house arrest.

Nina Cerfolio MD

• Putin commemorated the 80^th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazy Germany in the Battle of Kursk.