<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/25/yevgeny-prigozhin-wagner-rockstar-exit-from-rostov-shows-public-support-for-traitor>
"Yevgeny Prigozhin left the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don late
Saturday to a rapturous reception that resembled the departure of a rockstar,
with crowds of men gathering around his car.
The extraordinary scenes underlined some of the broader support Prigozhin
appears to enjoy among sections of the Russian population, despite Vladimir
Putin calling him a traitor whom he vowed to “liquidate”.
One video showed residents in the city cheering as Prigozhin’s car stopped when
one person approached. The smiling warlord, flanked by a convoy of armoured
vehicles, then proceeded to shake the man’s hand.
“Take care of yourselves,” shouted another woman.
Some retreating Wagner group troops also tooted their horns and fired into the
air, followed by loud applause from the public.
In an abrupt about-face, Prigozhin said on Saturday evening that he had called
off his troops’ march on Moscow and ordered them to move out of Rostov after
reaching a deal with the Kremlin.
Earlier in the day, Prigozhin’s troops had occupied key buildings in Rostov
without meeting any tangible resistance. Some residents told the
Guardian
that they welcomed the warlord’s arrival.
“Finally, we can welcome them home,” said Evgeny, 36, a supporter of the war
who has been among those crowdfunding and ferrying goods into occupied Ukraine.
“I hope he wins.”
In stark contrast, hours after Wagner troops left the city, some locals
appeared to be angrily greeting the police force that took their place,
shouting “traitors” and “shame!” at them."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
