Wagner chief Prigozhin had plans to capture Russian military leaders

Western intelligence officials say Russian domestic espionage agency had gotten wind of the plot in advance

- Bojan Pancevski

Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin planned to capture Russia's military leadership as part of last weekend's mutiny, Western officials said, and he accelerated his plans after the country's domestic intelligence agency became aware of the plot.

The plot's premature launch was among the factors that could explain its ultimate failure after 36 hours, when Prigozhin called off an armed march on Moscow that had initially faced little resistance.

Prigozhin originally intended to capture Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of Russia's general staff, during a visit to a southern region that borders Ukraine that the two were planning. But the Federal Security Service, or FSB, found out about the plan two days before it was to be executed, according to Western officials.

Gen. Viktor Zolotov, commander of the National Guard of Russia, a domestic military force that reports directly to President Vladimir Putin, also said authorities knew about Prigozhin's intentions before he launched his attempt.

"Specific leaks about preparations for a rebellion that would begin between June 22-25 were leaked from Prigozhin's camp," Zolotov told state media on Tuesday.

Western intelligence agencies also found out early about the plans by Prigozhin, Putin's former confidant, by analyzing electronic communications intercepts and satellite imagery, according to a person familiar with the findings.