>>513535646
>If he kept going it probably would have ended pretty quickly in a messy shootout in the outskirts of Moscow
Wagnerites were in the outskirts of Moscow and every Moscovian officer (from military and police) was ordered to stand down. Way to tsar's throne was open, but for narrow minded Prigozhin it was probably just too much, because he never dreamed of it and just wasn't prepared.

There was attempt of stopping Wagner's march with airforce (jet was shot down by Wagner), but that was before they reached outskirts of Moscow. If Russian military had any intention of stopping Wagner forces at any time, it would be it.

If there was anyone on Kremlin who intended to help Prigozhin to take over, chickening out was very stupid idea (literally what Prigo did and what caused his death). Purge will come anyway and if there was other overmind of entire operation, he wouldn't be that stupid to back off at the very last moment.