The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has denounced this Saturday an act of “treason” after the entry of the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeni Prigozhin, in the Russian city of Rostov, headquarters of the southern command of the Russian Army, which the president has described as an act of rebellion and a “stab in the back” to the troops and people of Russia.
Prigozhin, for his part, has replied that his men are not traitors and will not turn themselves in to the authorities.
“Regarding that of treason against the homeland, the president was deeply mistaken. We are patriots. We have fought and we fight (…) and no one plans to turn themselves in at the request of the president, the Federal Security Service (FSB) or whoever,” he said. Prigozhin in a new audio posted on his Telegram channel,
In his first appearance after the start of the incidents last night, Putin did not identify Prigozhin by name and wanted to distinguish Wagner’s forces, by asking “those who have been pushed to provoke this military rebellion” to depose arms in what he ultimately denounced as an “internal riot” and, above all, as a “stab” for the Russian troops and for the people.
After recognizing the work of the group as “heroes” in the war in Ukraine, Putin has issued a harsh warning against those who participate in what he described as a riot. “Any internal riot is a mortal threat to our State, to us as a nation. It is a blow against our nation, our people. And our actions to defend the homeland from such a threat will be brutal,” he warned.
After recognizing the work of the group as “heroes” in the war in Ukraine, Putin has issued a harsh warning against those who participate in what he described as a riot
“Anyone”, he insisted, “who has consciously followed the path of treason, who has prepared the armed mutiny, has followed the path of blackmail and terrorist actions, will receive an inevitable punishment”, the president added.
In a speech peppered with references to Russia’s historical background, Putin compared what happened last night with the events of 1917, when “the intrigues and discussions behind the Army’s back led to a catastrophe, to the destruction of the Army and the State and in the loss of huge territories, resulting in tragedy and civil war.”
“The beneficiaries of this were political schemers and foreign powers who divided the country. We will not let this happen again,” he added. “Any internal turmoil is a deadly threat to our statehood as a nation; it is a blow to Russia, to our people, and to the actions we are taking to protect our homeland,” he declared.
“Our actions to defend the homeland from this threat will be very harsh, and those responsible will be brought to justice,” insisted the Russian president, who nonetheless confirmed that the situation in Rostov is “difficult” because “the operation of the civil and military control departments is practically blocked” and has promised “decisive measures to stabilize the situation”.
“As President of Russia and Supreme Commander,” Putin has said, “I will do everything possible to defend the country, protect the Constitution, life and security, the freedom of citizens.”
“Those who prepared the military mutiny, who have taken up arms against their comrades, have betrayed Russia and will pay for it. And to those who are being dragged into the crime, I ask you not to make this crucial mistake.”
“Those who prepared the military mutiny, who have taken up arms against their comrades, have betrayed Russia and will pay for it. And to those who are being dragged into the crime, I ask you not to make this crucial, tragic and unrepeatable mistake. Take the right decision: stop participating in criminal actions,” Putin concluded.
The British Ministry of Defense takes it for granted that the Wagne mercenary group has taken over the city of Rostov, headquarters of the southern military command, and is now heading to Moscow in what it characterizes as “the most important challenge in recent times for the Russian state”.
In its latest assessment this Saturday, British military intelligence estimates that Wagner now controls “key security areas” in the city, including “the headquarters that conducts military operations in Ukraine.”
London notes that Wagner’s units are advancing from there to the north of the country, “through the Voronezh region” and that “it is practically for certain that it has Moscow as its objective.”
The British Ministry of Defense has “very limited evidence of clashes between Wagner and Russian forces, “some of which have remained passive” in a gesture of “consent” towards the group of mercenaries.
In general terms, London considers what happened in the last hours as the culmination of the reigning “enmity” between Wagner and the Russian Ministry of Defense
In general terms, London considers what happened in the last few hours as the culmination of the reigning “enmity” between Wagner and the Russian Defense Ministry, which has now become an “absolute military confrontation” and a very serious threat to the integrity Russian state.
In the coming hours, the loyalty of the Russian security forces, and especially the Russian National Guard, will be key in the development of the crisis.
For his part, the well-known Russian opposition businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the richest man in Russia until his conviction and exile, urged today to help Wagner in his rebellion, since the real enemy is not in Kiev, but in Moscow, he says.
“Prigozhin’s rebellion, despite its lukewarmness and lack of preparation, is the strongest blow to Putin’s reputation,” he wrote on his Telegram channel. He stressed that Wagner’s boss is telling the truth when he points out that “the official reason for the war (Nato is preparing to attack Russia) is bullshit that nobody believes in.”
Khodorkovsky noted that the Russian army “was ruined by the hands of robbers close to Putin” and “cannot defeat Ukraine.”
And that, he added, is said by Prigozhin, a person who helped Putin consolidate his power. “What we can do to help our country now is to help people listen to Prigozhin while he is telling the truth. And if he goes to Moscow, stop him from stopping, help with gasoline and diesel, convince those who will be sent to stop him. that we now have a common enemy,” Khodorkovsky emphasized.
He indicated that “now we must help and then, if necessary, we will fight too.” The former oil magnate was arrested in 2003, found guilty of various economic crimes, sentenced to 14 years in prison and confined to a penitentiary in Siberia, although he was finally pardoned in 2013 by Putin, his great political enemy.
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