Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on Saturday to defend his country against an armed rebellion declared by the owner of private military contractor Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led his troops from Ukraine to a key city south of Moscow. .
The mutiny, which Putin called “a stab in the back,” was the biggest threat to his leadership in more than two decades in power.
Prigozhin’s private army appears to control the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city more than 660 miles from the Russian capital, from where operations in Ukraine are managed, according to an intelligence report from Britain’s Ministry of Defense.
It is not clear how Prigozhin was able to enter the Russian city or how many soldiers were with him.
During his speech, Putin called the uprising of Prigozhin, whom he did not directly mention by name, “treason against the homeland.”
“All those who prepared the rebellion will suffer an inevitable punishment,” the president said. “The armed forces and other government agencies have received the necessary orders.”
Prigozhin described himself as a patriot. “About treason, the president is deeply mistaken. We are patriots, ”he stated in an audio message on his Telegram channel.
Its fighters will not surrender, as Putin claimed, since “we do not want the country to continue living in corruption, deceit and bureaucracy,” he added.
The President of Russia is 69 years old.
WHAT IS THE WAGNER GROUP?
The Wagner Group has been fighting alongside the Kremlin forces in the Ukraine. Prigozhin’s objectives were not immediately clear, but the rebellion marked an escalation in his confrontation with the Russian military leadership, whom he accused of spoiling the war in Ukraine and hindering his troops on the ground.
“This is not a military coup but a march for justice,” added the magnate.
Prigozhin confirmed on Saturday that he and his troops had arrived in Rostov-on-Don after crossing the border from Ukraine.
In addition, he posted a video in which he appeared at the Russian military headquarters in Rostov and claimed that his troops had seized the airfield and other military installations in the city. Other recordings posted on social media showed military vehicles, including tanks, on the streets.
According to Prigozhin, his forces faced no resistance from young recruits at checkpoints, adding that they “are not fighting children.”
Russian authorities on Wednesday accused Ukraine of attempting to attack the Kremlin with two drones in an attempt to assassinate President Vladimir Putin.
“But we will destroy anyone who gets in our way,” he said in a series of angry videos and audio posted on social media starting Friday night. “We are advancing and we will go to the end.”
Putin condemned the rebellion at a time when Russia is “fighting the toughest battle for its future” as Western governments add sanctions against Moscow and arm Kiev.
“The entire military, economic and informational machine of the West is against us,” said the Russian president.
Russian security forces called for Prigozhin’s arrest after his declaration of rebellion late on Friday.
As a sign of the seriousness with which the Kremlin faced the threat, the authorities declared an “anti-terrorist regime” in Moscow and its surroundings, which allows restricting freedoms and strengthening security in the capital.
Prigozhin said his goal was to punish Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu after Russian government forces attacked Wagner’s camps in Ukraine with rockets, helicopter gunships and artillery.
According to the tycoon, the chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, ordered the attacks after a meeting with Shoigu in which both leaders decided to end the group of mercenaries. He claimed that his forces shot down a Russian military helicopter that fired on a civilian convoy, but this could not be independently confirmed.
