On the 24th of last month (local time), the Wagner Group, a private military company (PMC), withdrew from Rostov-on-Don after staging an armed rebellion. According to allegations, this group attempted to gain access to Russian nuclear facilities and steal small-scale nuclear weapons. The United States and its Western allies have remained particularly watchful of the Wagner Group’s interest in nuclear weapons.
Reuters reported on the 10th (local time) that Ukrainian intelligence authorities and multiple sources revealed that mercenaries from the Wagner Group had attempted to steal nuclear weapons during their rebellion on the 24th of last month. Eyewitness statements and news footage confirmed that some rebels, who were advancing towards Moscow, broke away from their ranks and headed towards a military base known for storing nuclear weapons.
Around 10 military vehicles that separated from the main group were observed heading towards the Voronezh-45 base, one of Russia’s nuclear weapons storage facilities. Local media reports also confirmed that Wagner’s troops engaged in a battle near the village of Talovaya, around 100 km away from Voronezh-45. In the process, a Russian Ka-52 helicopter was shot down, resulting in two casualties. The precise location of Wagner’s mercenaries has not been confirmed since then.
Director of Military Intelligence Kirillo Budanow, the head of the intelligence service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, claimed that Wagner’s squad not only reached Talovaya but also attempted to seize a small nuclear weapon from the Voronezh-45 base. However, their attempt failed as they were unable to open the gate to the nuclear facility. Budanow stated in an interview with Reuters that this endeavor was an attempt to escalate the rebellion by stealing a small nuclear device from the Soviet era.
The “nuclear knapsack” referred to by Director Budanou is a small nuclear weapon that can be carried in a bag. Both the United States and the Soviet Union possessed such weapons during the Cold War, but they both agreed to eliminate all nuclear weapons in the early 1990s.
While Director Budanou did not provide evidence for the claim of attempted theft by the Wagner Group, an anonymous source close to the Kremlin made similar claims. According to Reuters, the source stated, “The US was upset because Wagner’s mercenaries were able to enter the ‘area of special interest’ where nuclear weapons were stored.” A Russian source in eastern Ukraine expressed concerns raised in the Kremlin and mentioned that the Belarusian president mediated to quickly end the rebellion on the 24th.
Experts acknowledge the possibility that Russia may have maintained the nuclear knapsack stored in Voronezh-45. However, they argue that even if it was present, it would have been impossible for the Wagner Group to bypass the security measures of the nuclear facility. Matt Korda, senior fellow of the Nuclear Intelligence Project at the Federation of American Scientists, emphasized that non-government personnel would not be able to breach Russian nuclear security.
US government officials claim to be unaware of the Wagner Group’s takeover attempt. Adam Hodge, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council (NSC), stated, “We are not aware that nuclear weapons or related materials have been compromised at any time.” Neither the Kremlin nor the Wagner Group responded to Reuters’ inquiries regarding this matter.
The fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not punish the Wagner Group for their armed uprising but rather called them to the Kremlin Palace five days later has raised doubts about the entire incident. The Kremlin announced on the same day that President Putin invited 35 Wagner commanders, including Yevgeny Prigozin, the head of the group, for a three-hour meeting on the 29th of last month.
Russian security expert Andrei Soldatov believes that Putin’s harsh comments criticizing the uprising as “treason” were directed at the Russian military and served as a warning to abstain from joining such rebellions. He suggests that another deal may have been struck. Tatyana Stanovaya, from the Carnegie Center for Russian Eurasia, views the Kremlin’s announcement as a signal to the Russian elite that Prigozhin has survived.
According to Abbas Galliamov, a former adviser to President Putin, “With Putin’s fate at stake in this war, he has no choice but to rely on the Wagner Group.” The cooperation of this group is vital for the survival of the regime.
Source: Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
On the 24th of last month (local time), mercenaries from the Wagner Group, who carried out an armed rebellion, withdraw from Rostov-on-Don. Reuters Yonhap News
Allegations have been made that the private military company (PMC) Wagner Group, which staged an armed uprising last month on the Russian mainland, gained access to Russian nuclear facilities and attempted to steal small-scale nuclear weapons. The Wagner group’s approach to nuclear weapons is what the United States and its Western allies have been most alert to.
On the 10th (local time), Reuters reported, citing Ukrainian intelligence authorities and multiple sources, that mercenaries attempted to steal nuclear weapons during the Wagner group’s rebellion on the 24th of last month. It was confirmed through eyewitness statements and news footage that some of the rebels who were advancing on the capital, Moscow, had broken away from their ranks and were heading towards a military base known as a nuclear weapons storage facility.
About 10 military vehicles that broke away from the ranks are said to be heading towards the ‘Voronezh-45’ base, known as one of Russia’s nuclear weapons storage facilities. It was also confirmed that Wagner’s troops had advanced to the village of Talovaya, which is about 100 km away from the Voronezh-45 base. It was also confirmed through local media reports that Wagner mercenaries and Russian soldiers were engaged in a battle near this village, and that a Russian Ka-52 helicopter was shot down in the process, killing two people. Since then, the location of Wagner’s mercenaries has not been confirmed.
At the time, the Director of Military Intelligence Kirillo Budanow, the head of the intelligence service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, claimed that the Wagner squad did not stop at Talovaya, but reached the Voronezh-45 base and tried to seize a small nuclear weapon from Russia, but failed because he could not open the gate to the nuclear facility. He said in an interview with Reuters, “It was an attempt to raise the stakes of the rebellion by stealing a small nuclear device from the Soviet era.”
The small nuclear device that Director Budanou was referring to is the so-called ‘nuclear knapsack’, a small nuclear weapon that can be carried and transported in a bag. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union had both, but in the early 1990s both countries agreed to get rid of all nuclear weapons.
Budanou did not provide evidence for the claim that there had been an attempt to steal a nuclear backpack from the Wagner group. However, an unnamed source close to the Kremlin made similar claims, Reuters reported. “The US was upset because Wagner’s mercenaries were able to enter the ‘area of special interest’ and nuclear weapons were stored there,” the source said. A Russian source occupying eastern Ukraine said, “This raised concern in the Kremlin and was an opportunity to quickly end the rebellion through the mediation of the Belarusian president on the evening of the 24th.”
Experts said they cannot rule out the possibility that Russia may have kept the nuclear backpack aside. However, it was analyzed that even if the nuclear backpack was stored in Voronezh-45, it would have been impossible for the Wagner group to break through the security devices of the nuclear facility. “It would be impossible for non-government personnel to break through Russian nuclear security,” said Matt Korda, senior fellow of the Nuclear Intelligence Project at the Federation of American Scientists.
US government officials expressed ignorance of the Wagner group’s takeover attempt. Adam Hodge, spokesman for the White House National Security Council (NSC), said, “We are not aware that nuclear weapons or related materials have been compromised at any time.” Neither the Kremlin nor the Wagner group responded to Reuters inquiries about the matter.
As there is confirmation that Russian President Vladimir Putin did not punish the Wagner group for the armed uprising and that he summoned them to the Kremlin Palace five days after the uprising, doubts about the uprising as a whole are increasing. The Kremlin announced on the same day that President Putin invited 35 Wagner commanders, including Yevgeny Prigozin, head of the Wagner Group, to the Kremlin on the 29th of last month and had a three-hour meeting.
Regarding this, Russian security expert Andrei Soldatov said, “Putin’s harsh comments criticizing the uprising as ‘treason’ are aimed at the Russian military and should serve as a warning not to join this uprising. He seems to have made another deal,” he said. the New York Times.
“The Kremlin’s announcement is a signal to the Russian elite that Prigozhin has survived,” said Tatyana Stanovaya of the Carnegie Center for Russian Eurasia.
Abbas Galliamov, a former adviser to President Putin, also told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), “With Putin’s fate at stake in this war, he has no choice but to need the Wagner group.” This is big, and he has no choice but to cooperate for the survival of the regime.”
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