> The reporting by traditional media had a lot of „not independently confirmed“ details. This was very strange, given that everything was happening in a densely populated area - Rostov, Voronezh, Lipetsk and Tula are big cities, M4 is an important highway with a lot of traffic.
Think about how many videos exist of generic Russian troops and tanks moving on the M4 and around the Ministry of Defense building in Rostov just on Twitter alone. Most of the time the only way to differentiate Wagner from regular troops is a little patch on their arms.
It’s very hard to verify the date a video was taken, even when there’s several of them online. Deception is always a concern and it takes time to gather enough experts to cross verify facts and find trustworthy sources on the ground.
This whole incident was actually quite accessible this time around - a lot less fog of war than usual. Google Maps showed blockages on the M4 and Prigozhin sent out audio messages via official channels.
Well, that’s the thing: there’s not that many evidence from specific points. Imagine having relatives in Efremov or Novocherkassk, knowing that sometimes there’s fighting between Wagner and army or FSB, and not being able to tell if there’s any risk for your family. Tracking such a big force on your own turf should have been an easy task for MVD or FSB. Maybe even for some big newspapers. Visual ID, plates etc. At least some Wagner vehicles were easily recognizable.
Think about how many videos exist of generic Russian troops and tanks moving on the M4 and around the Ministry of Defense building in Rostov just on Twitter alone. Most of the time the only way to differentiate Wagner from regular troops is a little patch on their arms.
It’s very hard to verify the date a video was taken, even when there’s several of them online. Deception is always a concern and it takes time to gather enough experts to cross verify facts and find trustworthy sources on the ground.
This whole incident was actually quite accessible this time around - a lot less fog of war than usual. Google Maps showed blockages on the M4 and Prigozhin sent out audio messages via official channels.