Putin critic Girkin’s arrest may indicate shift in power dynamics: reports
The arrest of Igor Girkin (Strelkov), former Russian officer and fervent ultranationalist, could indicate a shifting balance of power within Kremlin factions, according to the US think-tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Former military commander of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Igor Strelkov (Girkin) attends a court hearing at the Meshchansky District Court in Moscow, Russia, 21 July 2023. Strelkov is charged with Public calls for extremist activities using the media or the Internet.Photo: EPA/ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/POOL
According to the latest assessment of Russia’s war in Ukraine by the ISW, the shift may potentially unfavorably affect the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), in which Girkin had served.
The US think-tank said that „the Russian Investigative Committee arrested Girkin on July 21, and Girkin will be held until September 18 on extremism charges.”
„Russian insider sources claimed that Girkin’s arrest is part of the Russian Presidential Administration’s efforts to crack down on select high-profile Russian ultranationalists following Wagner Group financier Yevgeny Prigozhin’s armed rebellion on June 24,” the report said.
Igor Girkin, a Russian nationalist and former „defence minister” in the Russian-installed authority in the Donetsk region, has been a vocal critic of the Kremlin, particularly concerning the conduct of the war in Ukraine by the Russian defence ministry.
However, recently, his criticisms have taken a new direction, directly targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Separately, the UK defence ministry said in its daily intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine that Girkin’s arrest „is likely to infuriate fellow members of the mil-blogger community – and elements within the serving military – who largely see Girkin as an astute military analyst and patriot.”
The UK ministry said in its update, posted on Twitter, that „while Girkin is no ally of the Wagner Group, he was likely only prepared to push the limits of public criticism in the context of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s June 2023 abortive mutiny. The taboo against unmasked criticism of the Putin regime has significantly weakened.”
(ał)
Source: PAP
