Wagner Group boss warns 'This scum will be stopped!' after alleged attack from Russian military: report

Intense conflict between Russian leaders ensued Friday after former President Vladimir Putin ally, Russian mercenary leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin, claimed the Kremlin attacked his organization, The Wagner Group, The Washington Post reports.

Prigozhin "has gained notoriety for launching scathing attacks at Russia's top military leaders over their handling of the war" on Ukraine, according to New York Post,which also noted the mercenary boss mentioned in an interview earlier this month that he's "'afraid' Russian military forces 'might get the vile idea of throwing a small nuclear bomb on their own territory.'"

Per the Post, although the Russian leader alleges the Kremlin attacked one of his Wagner camps, the country's Federal Security Service declared "a criminal case against Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin," Friday, "accusing him of 'incitement to armed rebellion' after he declared an open conflict with Russia's military leadership and called on Russians to join 25,000 Wagner fighters against Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other top commanders."

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The Russian Defense Ministry rejects Prigozhin's claim of an attack, deeming it "an informational provocation," according to the report.

Still, Prigozhin, via Telegram on Friday said "those who destroyed our guys today, and tens of thousands of lives of Russian soldiers, will be punished. I ask no one to resist," while calling out Shoigu, saying, "This scum will be stopped!"

The Postreports:

The announcement of the criminal case by the Federal Security Service, or FSB, signaled that Prigozhin could face imminent arrest for comments in which he declared that he would lead a 'march of justice' against his enemies in Russia's Ministry of Defense. The Wagner leader denied that he was attempting a military coup.

The Defense Ministry said in a statement, "The armed forces of the Russian Federation continue to carry out combat missions on the line of contact with the armed forces of Ukraine in the area of the special military operation."

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The Washington Post's full report is available at this link (subscription required). The New York Times' report is here (subscription required).