Global Courant
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says it is clear Russia is suffering from “complete weakness” after mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin launched an armed uprising.
Zelenskyy said in comments on his Telegram channel on Saturday that “anyone who chooses the path of evil destroys himself.”
He said that “For a long time Russia used propaganda to mask its weakness and the stupidity of its government. And now there is so much chaos that no lie can hide it.
“Russia’s weakness is obvious. Complete weakness,” Zelenskyy said. “And the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain and problems it will have for itself later. That is also clear.”
The dramatic developments come just 16 months after Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, which killed tens of thousands, displaced millions and left cities in ruins.
LOOK | Wagner Group claims control of Russian border town:
The Wagner Group mercenaries claim control of Rostov-on-Don
Russian President Vladimir Putin vows to quell an armed uprising after fighters from the Wagner Group’s private militia seized control of Rostov-on-Don, a city of more than a million people close to the border with Ukraine. Andrew Rasiulis of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute discusses the escalating situation.
The uprising of Prigozhin and his private Wagner group militia comes as Kiev troops probe Russian defenses in the initial stages of a counter-offensive.
Ukrainian officials hope Russia’s infighting will create opportunities for their military to take back territory taken by Russian forces, with Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar writing on Telegram on Saturday that Russia’s “political crisis” has opened up a “window of opportunity” in Kiev. offers.
In fact, the Ukrainian military said on Saturday that its troops had made progress near the eastern city of Bakhmut — a key battlefield on the eastern front taken by Wagner forces in May after months of fighting — and in an area further to the south.
Maliar said an offensive had been launched near a group of villages around Bakhmut.
“We have made progress in all these areas,” Maliar wrote.
Tavria front commander Oleksandr Tarnavskiy said Ukrainian troops had liberated an area near Krasnohorivka, west of the Russian-held regional center of Donetsk. He said the area had been under Russian control since separatist forces backed by Moscow seized it in 2014.
