After Prigozhin: The Beginning of the End of Putin's Regime? 

Join Dr. Stefes and the CU Denver Institute for International Business for an important roudtable discussion on August 8, 2023 from 12-1:30 pm on zoom. Click to register. 

Background:

On June 24, 2023, Y. Prigozhin, head of a large, Russian mercenary group (Wagner), sent thousands of his troops towards Moscow. For months, Prigozhin had scolded the Russian military leadership for undersupplying his troops with weapons and ammunition, undermining their fight in Ukraine. The Wagner troops quickly advanced. Yet, within hours Prigozhin recalled the troops. Putin made a similar U-turn, striking a deal with Prigozhin, a long-time confidant, who he had initially called a traitor.

In his presentation, Christoph H. Stefes, Professor at the Political Science Department of CU-Denver, introduces Prigozhin and the Wagner group, outlines the importance of Wagner for Russia’s autocratic regime, and why Prigozhin challenged Putin, only to end the mutiny within hours. He further applies a model of autocratic (in)stability that he has helped to develop with colleagues at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB) to assess the impact that this short-lived mutiny might have on Putin’s regime in the long run. Finally, he analyzes the impact of the mutiny on the war in Ukraine.