Kartapolov explained Prigozhin’s rebellion by stopping funding for PMC Wagner

The founder of Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, attempted an armed coup after the Ministry of Defense informed him that the PMC had been suspended from conducting a special operation and stopped funding due to a refusal to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense. About it informed Andrey Kartapolov, Chairman of the State Duma Defense Committee, in an interview with RT.

“A few days before the attempted mutiny, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated – and absolutely correctly – that all armed formations must sign a contract with the Ministry of Defense. And everyone, except for Wagner, began to implement this decision – I repeat, absolutely correct – to execute. Except this gentleman. He refused,” he said.

According to Kartapolov, after that, the Ministry of Defense informed Prigozhin that in this case, the Wagner PMC fighters would no longer be involved in the conduct of the special operation and they would not be given material resources.

“Well, it happened: no more money will be allocated – this is the first; exorbitant and stupid ambitions – the second; an overly excited state is the third,” added Kartapolov, noting that all this led to “treason and deception of his comrades-in-arms.”

On the night of June 24, an armed rebellion was attempted in Russia, during which the founder of Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin announced a campaign against Moscow, and also blocked Rostov-on-Don and took control of the city’s military facilities. In the evening, the Kremlin reported on the agreements reached to de-escalate the situation: the PMC would return to the field camps, the criminal case against Prigozhin would be dropped, and he would move to Belarus. On June 27, the FSB announced the termination of the criminal case.