The Russian Invasion

Putin/Image shared from Saint Petersburg. TT  

 

Russian Invasion|Summit in Saint Petersburg 

Analysis: Want to show that Putin and Prigozhin are polar opposites  

 

Despite the midsummer uprising against Vladimir Putin, the Wagner conductor Yevgeny Prigozhin does not seem to be persona non grata in Russia. That's what Sky News Moscow correspondent Diana Magnay writes in an analysis after Prigozhin was captured on video from the meeting in Saint Petersburg yesterday.  

 

In the picture, he shakes hands with a representative of the Central African Republic, which is in dire need of the Wagner Group's military support. Magnay notes that Prigozhin is "doing the Kremlin's dirty work" in Africa. 

 

The image appears to send a message to countries in Africa that the connection between Russia and Wagner remains strong, CNN contributor Nic Robertson said in a video clip.  

 

Melinda Haring of the organization Eurasia Center, who is interviewed by Sky, agrees. She says that Russia wants to show that "Putin and Prigozhin are good friends again" and believes that the Wagner leader's presence in Africa has saved his skin. 

 

- The important signal is: "African leaders, don't worry, we protect you. Wagner is still going strong and you can trust us". 

 

A month ago, Putin called the uprising "treason" and now Prigozhin is standing there with a big smile, both the aforementioned Nic Robertson and the BBC's Steve Rosenberg note in surprise:  

 

"Talk about stealing the show," writes Rosenberg on Twitter. 

 

 

Prigozhin, archive image. AP  

 

Pictures are said to show Prigozhin in place at Putin's big meeting  

 

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin appears to be in St. Petersburg, where a Russian-African summit will take place on Thursday. This is written by Politico, which refers to images published in social media. 

 

It concerns, among other things, a picture that an African civil servant shared on Facebook. The official is said to be part of the delegation from the Central African Republic, where the paramilitary group has a presence. 

 

Politico interprets it as a show of strength that Prigozhin appears to be attending Vladimir Putin's meeting, not long after this summer's attempted uprising when the group marched on Moscow.  

 

But, writes Sky News, it is not clear that the picture taken by the official is from the current meeting, and that it is not a picture from a previous occasion. 

 

Moscow in April 2021. Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP  

The Russian InvasionThe Battles  

Russia claims to have shot down drones in Moscow  

 

Russia has shot down a Ukrainian drone in the Moscow region on Friday morning, the Russian Ministry of Defense says, according to several media. 

 

Russia claims no one was injured or killed. Ukraine has not commented on the data. Earlier this week, Ukraine confirmed that it had carried out two drone attacks in Moscow.  

 

One of the drones crashed in the central parts of the Russian capital, near the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense, according to AP.