Jun 26, 2023
What just happened in Russia? In a stunning although not entirely surprising turn of events, Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin turned his troops and tanks toward Moscow after spending weeks criticizing Russia's abysmal performance in the Ukraine war. A violent confrontation was averted, however, when Prigozhin struck a deal with the Kremlin to abort his mutiny and leave for Belarus. The crisis left Russian president Vladimir Putin looking weak and humiliated after the gravest challenge to his authority since he took power in 1999. In this episode, historians Michael Kimmage, Vladislav Zubok, and Sergey Radchenko offer historical perspective and clear-eyed analysis of the cracks forming in Putin's regime.