Riga Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the actions of the Wagner pre-military group as a “military uprising” and has announced that those responsible will be punished. In a speech to the population, which was broadcast on Russian state television on Saturday morning, Putin said: “Those who organized and prepared the military uprising, who took up arms against their comrades-in-arms, betrayed Russia.” They would be held accountable for this pulled.
The dispute between the Russian army and the private mercenary group Wagner led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, which is fighting for Russia in Ukraine, has been smoldering for months. Since Friday and Saturday, however, the situation has worsened dramatically.
On Friday, Prigozhin blamed Defense Minister Shoigu for allegedly firing rockets at the Wagner mercenaries. Subsequently, the Wagner mercenaries advanced on the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, from where the army coordinates the war in Ukraine. Allegedly they have already occupied the military airport there.
Putin, who appeared visibly tense, spoke of “actions that split our unity”. These are “a stick in the back of our country and our people”. He did not mention the name of Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Putin calls Wagner fighters “heroes”
Putin, on the other hand, describes the soldiers of the Wagner Group as “heroes” and referred to their operations in Ukraine. Putin explicitly named the places Soledar and Bachmut.
They fought and gave their lives “for the unity of the Russian world”. However, her name and fame have been betrayed “by those trying to organize an uprising and push the country towards anarchy and fratricide”.
Any internal turmoil is “a deadly threat to our statehood, to us as a nation,” Putin said. “Measures to defend the fatherland against such a threat will be severe.”
Those who deliberately went down the path of treason, who “prepared an armed uprising,” would “suffer the inevitable punishment” and answer before the law and the people.
“Anti-terrorist measures” in Moscow
In his speech, Putin assured that the armed forces and other state agencies had received “the necessary orders”. Additional so-called “anti-terrorist measures” would be initiated in the capital Moscow, the Moscow region and a number of other regions.
The security measures in government buildings, means of transport and other important places have already been tightened, reports the state news agency TASS, citing security service circles.
According to the AP news agency, heavy military trucks and armored vehicles were sighted in several parts of central Moscow on Saturday morning. Soldiers with assault rifles were stationed in front of the main building of the Ministry of Defense. The area around the presidential administration near Red Square was cordoned off, causing traffic to stop, the AP reported.
Putin said “determined efforts” were being made to stabilize the situation in the city of Rostov-on-Don. This is still “complicated” because, according to Putin, the work of the civil and military authorities is blocked. In doing so, Putin indirectly confirmed the effects of the Wagner protests in the city.
The troops of The Wagner mercenary group has apparently advanced to the city of Rostov-on-Don, not far from the Ukrainian border.
(Photo: IMAGO/SNA)
At the same time, Putin called on the mercenaries to stop participating in “criminal activities”. At the beginning of the speech, Putin explicitly mentioned that he was also addressing those who had been “lured into this criminal adventure by deception or threats” and driven along the path of “armed mutiny”.
Putin assured that he would “do everything to defend the country”. Prigozhin himself responded to Putin’s speech on Saturday afternoon. According to Prigozhin, the president was wrong about the “betrayal of the motherland”. “We are patriots of our fatherland, we fought and continue to fight,” wrote the Wagner boss. They do not want the country to continue to live in corruption, fraud and bureaucracy.
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