Pro-war reactions to PMC Wagner before and after Its mutiny

This article examines a selected sample of pro-war representatives’ writings on Evgeny Prigozhin’s PMC Wagner between May–August 2023, which covers a short period before Prigozhin’s mutiny and two months after it, until Prigozhin’s death. An analysis of the armed power struggle between Wagner and the state is essential when assessing the structural tension of Putin’s personalistic dictatorship, in which an unofficial ‘pocket of efficiency’ created to enhance the regime’s policies poses an armed threat to the regime itself. The period before the mutiny showed that the pro-war actors’ support did not extend to official representatives of Putin’s policies, and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in particular. Instead, support was shown to Prigozhin and Wagner, whose reputation was largely gained by challenging the MoD. This demonstrates that official executors of Putin’s power are dependent on Putin’s personal authority, implying that after the departure of Putin, their position will be uncertain.