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Crisis in Russia

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A long-running feud over the invasion of Ukraine between the Russian army and Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia’s private military Wagner group, escalated into open confrontation over the past day.

Accusing Russia of attacking its soldiers, Prigozhin seemed to question one of President Vladimir Putin’s main justifications for the war, and Russian generals in turn accused him of trying to stage a coup against Putin.

Prigozhin (pronounced pree-GOH-zhin) claimed control of Russia’s southern military headquarters in the city of Rostov-on-Don, near the front lines of the war in Ukraine where his fighters had operated. Video showed him entering the courtyard of the headquarters.

Prigozhin’s actions represented the biggest challenge to Putin’s authority since he invaded Ukraine early last year. Putin promised “decisive action” and Russian security forces rushed to regain control in the south of the country.

Events unfolded quickly:

  • Prigozhin intensified his criticism of the Russian military in videos posted to social media yesterday. He said Russian troops had attacked Wagner camps and killed “a large number of combatants”. His claims could not be verified, but he promised to bring soldiers into Russia in retaliation.

  • Troops widely believed to be Wagner troops surrounded the military headquarters in Rostov and tanks drove through the city streets, videos showed. Soldiers were also seen in other important places, such as the Ministry of the Interior for the region.

  • Signs of active fighting were also visible near the western Russian city of Voronezh, according to videos posted online, including helicopters and a wrecked truck by the side of the road. According to reports, Wagner fighters had entered the region.

  • Prigozhin stated that his troops were on their way to Moscow. “We’re moving on,” he said. “We’re going to the end.”

  • Russian military armored vehicles were deployed on the streets of Moscow and Rostov-on-Don, and Russia moved convoys of military equipment on a major highway connecting the two cities.

  • Russian security forces also appeared to have raided a Wagner building in St. Petersburg.

  • Putin promised to “stabilize the situation in Rostov-on-Don”. He also called Wagner’s actions a treacherous armed rebellion. Prigozhin rejected the allegations.

Prigozhin: Although he has been complaining about the Russian military for months, his accusations were a major turning point. Prigozhin is a businessman who became wealthy through his ties to Putin and landed lucrative government contracts while building Wagner’s mercenary army. (Read more about him by Anton Troianovski, head of the Moscow bureau of The Times.)

Putin: His quick public speech was a sign of the seriousness of the situation. He prefers to wield power behind the scenes until the outcome is clear, The Times Steven Lee Myers wrote. Putin also acknowledged some of Prigozhin’s success, saying that the functioning of Rostov, a city of a million people, was “essentially blocked”.

The Generals: Prigozhin’s feud with the Russian generals Grew out the battle for the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which his troops led on the Russian side. He accused the defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, and the country’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, of treason. He said they deliberately withheld ammunition and supplies from Wagner as their troops repeatedly failed in the war.

Ukraine: “Russia’s weakness is obvious,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky. But his country was still embroiled in violence. Russian forces fired more than 20 rockets into Kiev this morning, killing at least three people.

The British military described the crisis as the “most important challenge facing the Russian state in recent times” and said: “In the coming hours, the loyalty of Russia’s security forces, and in particular the Russian National Guard, will be key to how the crisis is set.”

🎬 “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” (Friday): This franchise consists of an all-time classic, a fantastic sequel, an OK sequel, and a disappointing sequel. (Guess what, readers.) Steven Spielberg sat out this final installment, but James Mangold (“Ford v. Ferrari,” “Logan”) is a strong action director, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen star alongside Harrison Ford. I remain optimistic, because hope is the most precious treasure of all.

📺 “Silo” (Friday): Based on the trilogy of novels by Hugh Howey, in which the members of a futuristic society live in a vast underground bunker (a silo), this dystopian sci-fi drama is ending its first season on Apple TV+. Season two has already been ordered, so expect a cliffhanger or two.

As we head into tomato season, you’ll want a selection of easy recipes that will keep you going all summer long. Be sure to add Eric Kim’s savory cold noodles with tomatoes to your list. Seasoned with a mix of soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame, along with scallions and a bit of garlic, the halved cherry tomatoes become juicy as they sit, releasing liquid that becomes a cooling broth when mixed with crushed ice. It’s like a cross between a gazpacho and naengmyeon, the chilled Korean noodle soup. Serve it as is for a light and summery main dish, or garnish with poached shrimp or halved hard-boiled eggs for something heavier.

Wedding Bikinis: Brides embrace swimwear.

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LSU vs. Florida, College World Series final: LSU started the season as the favorite to win the title and reached the Finals with a walk-off home run to defeat the No. 1 seed, Wake Forest. Unfortunately for LSU, the team’s ace starter, Paul Skenes, may not be available for the Finals after going eight innings in the final game. “Give Florida an edge by the simple fact that the Gators have set their pitching rotation for a three-game series,” writes The Athletic’s Mitch Light. 7 p.m. Eastern tonight on ESPN.

Related: Florida’s Jac Caglianone hit 31 home runs—tied for first place in the NCAA—and his fastball regularly hits 99 miles per hour, drawing comparisons to MLB phenom Shohei Ohtani, Jeff Passan writes at ESPN.

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