ALEXEY DRUZHININ/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images
In the aftermath of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mini-mutiny, prominent Russian state TV propagandists were left grasping at straws—desperately trying to temper their outrage at what had happened in order to justify the Kremlin’s decision to allow the Wagner boss and his mercenaries to escape accountability.
Prigozhin’s intended march on Moscow was signaled as early as May, when he hinted at the inevitable uprising during his media blitz, which seamlessly combined self-aggrandizement with endless grievances against Russia’s military leadership.
Despite the writing on the wall, the short-lived uprising by the Wagner Group—officially known as PMC Wagner—caught everyone by surprise. Decorated state TV host Vladimir Solovyov was shocked and dismayed at the dismal state of the country’s preparedness that allowed Prigozhin’s forces to roll through the land unimpeded. Solovyov seemed caught between a rock and a hard place, having to justify Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to let Prigozhin and Wagner walk free, despite having advocated for the death penalty for less grievous offenses.