Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned in an emergency televised handle on Saturday that an “armed mutiny” by the Wagner Group mercenary pressure was treason, and that anybody who had taken up arms in opposition to the Russian army can be punished.
Mr. Putin was addressing the nation after Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin known as for armed insurrection and reached a key Russian metropolis together with his troops. Mr. Prigozhin, proprietor of the Wagner non-public army firm, has claimed that his forces had army amenities in Russia’s southern metropolis of Rostov-on-Don below their management.
Mr. Putin mentioned the mutiny amounted to “a deadly threat to our statehood” and vowed “tough actions” in response. “All those who prepared the rebellion will suffer inevitable punishment. The armed forces and other government agencies have received the necessary orders,” Mr. Putin mentioned.
The head of Russia’s Wagner Group mercenary group has for the primary time publicly rejected Moscow’s official justifications for the struggle in Ukraine, marking a brand new milestone within the monthslong feud between Prigozhin and Russia’s prime army brass
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 24, 2023
He known as Mr. Prigozhin’s actions, with out referring to the proprietor of the Wagner non-public army firm by title, “a betrayal” and “a treason.” He urged “those who are being dragged into this crime not to make a fatal and tragic, unique mistake, to make the only right choice — to stop participating in criminal acts.” Mr. Putin condemned the insurrection at a time when Russia was “fighting the toughest battle for its future” with its struggle in Ukraine. “The entire military, economic and information machine of the West is waged against us,” Mr. Putin mentioned.
“This battle, when the fate of our people is being decided, requires the unification of all forces, unity, consolidation and responsibility.” An armed insurrection at a time like that is “a blow to Russia, to its people,” the President mentioned.
“Those who plotted and organised an armed rebellion, who raised arms against his comrades-in-arms, betrayed Russia. And they will answer for it,” Mr. Putin mentioned.
“We will destroy anyone who stands in our way,” Mr. Prigozhin mentioned in one among a collection of offended video and audio recordings posted on social media starting late Friday. “We are moving forward and will go until the end.”
Russia’s safety providers had responded to Mr. Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed insurrection by calling for his arrest. In an indication of how severely the Kremlin took the risk, safety was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and different areas. It was not instantly clear how he was capable of enter the southern Russian metropolis or what number of troops he had with him.
Founder of Wagner non-public mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin speaks contained in the headquarters of the Russian southern military army command middle, which is taken below management of Wagner PMC, in accordance with him, within the metropolis of Rostov-on-Don, Russia on this nonetheless picture taken from a video launched on June 24, 2023. Photo: Press service of “Concord”/Handout by way of Reuters
Mr. Prigozhin demanded that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff, whom he has pledged to oust over what he says is their disastrous management of the struggle in opposition to Ukraine, come to see him in Rostov, a metropolis close to the Ukrainian border.
Also learn | Wagner chief says Russia’s ‘monstrous bureacracy’ impeding Ukraine struggle
He had earlier mentioned that he had 25,000 fighters transferring in the direction of Moscow to “restore justice” and had alleged, with out offering proof, that the army had killed an enormous variety of fighters from his Wagner non-public militia in an air strike, one thing the Defence Ministry denied.
“Those who destroyed our lads, who destroyed the lives of many tens of thousands of Russian soldiers, will be punished. I ask that no one offer resistance…,” he mentioned in one among many frenzied audio messages.
“There are 25,000 of us and we are going to figure out why chaos is happening in the country,” he mentioned, promising to destroy any checkpoints or air forces that received in Wagner’s method.
Mr. Prigozhin, whose Wagner militia bolstered by tens of 1000’s of jail recruits, performed a central function in Russia’s seize of Bakhmut within the longest and bloodiest battle of the battle, has for months been overtly accusing Shoigu and Gerasimov of incompetence and of denying Wagner ammunition and help in its battles in Ukraine.
Following his nationwide handle, Mr. Putin briefed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the state of affairs in Russia, in accordance with a message posted on the Belarusian presidency’s official Telegram channel.
Also Read | Lessons from Russia’s Ukraine struggle
The dramatic flip, with many particulars unclear, appeared like the most important home disaster President Vladimir Putin has confronted since he ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine — one thing he known as a “special military operation” — in February final 12 months.
Mr. Putin was as a result of handle the nation quickly, the RIA news company cited the Kremlin as saying on Saturday.
Russia’s FSB safety had earlier opened a prison case in opposition to Prigozhin for armed mutiny and had mentioned that his statements have been “calls for the start of an armed civil conflict on Russian territory and his actions a ‘stab in the back’ of Russian servicemen fighting pro-fascist Ukrainian forces”.
It added: “We urge the … fighters not to make irreparable mistakes, to stop any forcible actions against the Russian people, not to carry out the criminal and traitorous orders of Prigozhin, to take measures to detain him.”
The state news company TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that each one of Russia’s essential safety providers have been reporting to Putin “round the clock.”
Security was being tightened in Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin mentioned on his Telegram channel.
In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the state of affairs, a White House spokesperson mentioned.
On Friday, Mr. Prigozhin had appeared to cross a brand new line in his more and more vitriolic feud with the ministry, saying that Putin’s acknowledged rationale for invading Ukraine 16 months in the past was primarily based on lies concocted by the military’s prime brass.
“The war was needed … so that Shoigu could become a marshal … so that he could get a second ‘Hero’ [of Russia] medal,” Mr. Prigozhin mentioned in a video clip.
“The war wasn’t needed to demilitarise or denazify Ukraine,” he mentioned, referring to Mr. Putin’s justifications for the struggle.
About 2 a.m. (2300 GMT), Mr. Prigozhin posted a message on the Telegram app saying his forces have been in Rostov and able to “go all the way” in opposition to the highest brass and destroy anybody who stood of their method.
About 5 a.m. (0200 GMT), the administration of the Voronezh area, on the M-4 motorway between the regional capital Rostov-on-Don and Moscow, mentioned on Telegram {that a} army convoy was on the freeway and urged residents to keep away from utilizing it.
Unverified footage posted on social media confirmed a convoy of varied army autos, together with no less than one tank and one armoured automobile on flatbed vehicles. It was not clear the place they have been, or whether or not the lined vehicles within the convoy contained fighters. Some of the autos have been flying the Russian flag.
Fighters of Wagner non-public mercenary group are seen atop of a tank in a road close to the headquarters of the Southern Military District within the metropolis of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Footage on channels primarily based in Rostov-on-Don confirmed armed males in army uniform skirting the regional police headquarters within the metropolis on foot, in addition to tanks positioned outdoors the headquarters of the Southern Military District.
Reuters confirmed the areas proven however couldn’t decide when the footage was shot.
Military convoy
Mr. Prigozhin denied that he was attempting to stage a army coup.
He mentioned he had led his fighters out of Ukraine to Rostov, the place a video posted by a pro-Wagner Telegram channel confirmed him, seemingly relaxed, conversing with two generals on the headquarters of Russia’s large Southern Military District.
The video confirmed him telling the generals: “We have arrived here, we want to receive the chief of the general staff and Shoigu. Unless they come, we’ll be here, we’ll blockade the city of Rostov and head for Moscow.”
That gave the impression to be a reference to a army convoy attempting to make a 1,200-km (750-mile) drive in the direction of Moscow, ostensibly to topple the army management.
Russian native officers mentioned a army convoy was certainly on the principle motorway linking the southern a part of European Russia with Moscow, and warned residents to keep away from it.
Fighters of Wagner non-public mercenary group converse with a Russian service member in a road close to the headquarters of the Southern Military District within the metropolis of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Army Lieutenant-General Vladimir Alekseyev — who was later to seem with Prigozhin within the video from Rostov-on-Don — issued a video attraction asking Mr. Prigozhin to rethink his actions.
“Only the president has the right to appoint the top leadership of the armed forces, and you are trying to encroach on his authority,” he mentioned.
Army General Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, whom Mr. Prigozhin has praised previously, mentioned in a video that “the enemy is just waiting for our internal political situation to deteriorate”.
“Before it is too late … you must submit to the will and order of the people’s president of the Russian Federation. Stop the columns and return them to their permanent bases,” he mentioned.
An unverified video on a Telegram channel near Wagner confirmed the purported scene of an air strike in opposition to Wagner forces. It confirmed a forest the place small fires have been burning and bushes appeared to have been damaged by pressure. There gave the impression to be one physique, however no extra direct proof of any assault.
It carried the caption: “A missile attack was launched on the camps of PMC (Private Military Company) Wagner. Many victims. According to eyewitnesses, the strike was delivered from the rear, that is, it was delivered by the military of the Russian Ministry of Defence.”
Source: www.thehindu.com
