Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov attempted to refute reports on Jan. 16 of an ongoing conflict between mercenary Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Russian Ministry of Defense, stating on Jan. 16 that these reports were “products of information manipulation.” ” are. However, Peskov added that while most such manipulations come from Russia’s “enemies,” the Kremlin has “friends” who also behave in a similar way.
Peskov’s statement may have been tacitly addressed to Prigozhin, whose criticism of the ministry has become increasingly brutal, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest report.
Prigozhin responded directly to Peskov’s statement in an interview question about the conflict between the Ministry of Defense and Prigozhin, adding that he has no reason not to trust Peskov.
Prigozhin could have easily refuted reports of the conflict by simply denying them, but continued his tactic of deliberately using vague messages to spark more discussion within the Russian information space, ultimately aimed at undermining confidence in the Ministry of Defense and Putin.” ISW found.
