Global Courant
A screenshot from a video shows Russian President Vladimir Putin making a statement amid escalating tensions between the Kremlin and the head of the Wagner paramilitary group in Moscow on June 24, 2023.
Kremlin Press Service| Handout | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to punish everyone involved in the “armed uprising” and accused them of treason.
In a televised speech on Saturday morning, Putin appealed to those who were “drawn into a criminal adventure by deceit or threat, pushed into the path of a serious crime – an armed insurrection.”
His comments come after Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the mercenary Wagner Group, accused the Kremlin of deliberately bombing Wagner forces. Russia’s Defense Ministry has denied the allegations, calling Prigozhin’s comments “informative provocation”. The mercenary chief had also claimed that Russia’s justification for the invasion of Ukraine was based on lies.
Putin characterized the unprovoked war in Ukraine as a struggle for Russia’s future, an effort he says requires unity among his forces. The Russian leader said: “I repeat, any internal unrest is a mortal threat to our state, to us as a nation.”
“We will protect both our people and our state from all threats, including – from internal treason,” Putin said. “And what we are dealing with is betrayal. Exorbitant ambitions and personal interests led to betrayal.”
Putin also described the situation in Rostov-on-Don, a city in southwestern Russia near Ukraine, as difficult, but said he would try to stabilize the situation there.
Prigozhin has claimed that he and his mercenaries have seized control of the city, a key logistical hub for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine. CNBC has not verified the claims. The Wagner chief has demanded that Russia’s top general Valery Gerasimov and the defense minister meet him in Rostov.
The British Ministry of Defense characterized this feud between Wagner and Moscow as “the main challenge facing the Russian state in recent times”, adding that it “escalated into a full-blown military confrontationThe ministry said the loyalty of Russian troops is crucial to the outcome of this situation. It had noted that there was little evidence of Russian troops fighting with the mercenaries, even remaining “passive” or “consenting” in some cases.
Putin’s promise to let the uprising organizers answer for their actions marks a major rift between Prigozhin, who was once one of the president’s longtime supporters. Even as tensions rose between the paramilitary leader and senior defense officials, Prigozhin had been careful not to direct his criticism at the Kremlin and Putin.
Russia has relied heavily on the mercenary group in its war, but a rift has developed between Moscow and Wagner fighters. Prigozhin previously complained that his troops had received only a fraction of the ammunition deliveries requested. He has also criticized the strategy of defense officials in Ukraine.
The mercenary uprising comes as Ukraine breaks off Russian-held territory in its counter-offensive. Fighting has intensified, but Kiev’s efforts have yielded only limited gains so far.
— CNBC’s Holly Ellyatt contributed.
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