A screenshot taken from a video showing Russian President Vladimir Putin making a statement amid escalating tensions between the Kremlin and the head of the paramilitary group Wagner in Moscow on June 24, 2023.
Kremlin Press Office| Handout | Anadolu agent | beautiful pictures
Russian President Vladimir Putin pledges sanctions all those who participated in the “armed uprising” and accused them of treason.
In a televised address on Saturday morning, Putin appealed to those “who, by deception or intimidation, are drawn into a criminal adventure, driven into the path of serious crime – a armed rebellion.”
His comments come after Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group mercenary, accuse the Kremlin about the deliberate bombing of Wagner’s army. The Russian Defense Ministry has denied the allegations, calling Prigozhin’s remarks an “information provocation”. The mercenary commander has also stated that Russia’s justification for invading Ukraine is based on lies.
Putin describes the gratuitous war in Ukraine as a struggle for Russia’s future, an effort he said requires unity among its forces. “I repeat, any internal disorder is a deadly threat to our state, to us as a nation,” the Russian leader said.
“We will protect both our people and our country from any threat. Including – from internal betrayal,” Putin said. “And what we are facing is precisely a betrayal. Excessive ambition and self-interest have led to treason.”
Putin also described the situation in Rostov-on-Don, a city in southwestern Russia near Ukraine, as difficult but said he would seek to stabilize the situation there.
Prigozhin claimed that he and his force of mercenaries had taken control of the city, a key logistics hub for the Russian war effort in Ukraine. CNBC has not verified the claims. The head of Wagner asked Russia’s top general Valery Gerasimov and the Defense Minister to meet him in Rostov.
The UK Ministry of Defense described this feud between Wagner and Moscow as “the most important challenge facing the Russian state in recent times,” and added that it had “escalate into full military confrontation.” The ministry said the loyalty of Russian forces was crucial to the outcome of this situation. The ministry noted that there was little evidence of Russian forces fighting mercenaries, even and “passive” or “agreeable” in some cases.
Putin’s pledge to make the uprising organizers answer for their actions marks a deep division for Prigozhin, who was once one of the president’s advisers. long-term supporters. Even as tensions grew between the paramilitary leader and senior defense officials, Prigozhin was careful not to direct his criticism to the Kremlin and Putin.
Russia has relied heavily on mercenaries in its war, but the rift is widening between the warriors of Moscow and Wagner. Prigozhin had previously complained that his forces received only a fraction of the required ammunition deliveries. He also criticized the strategy of defense officials in Ukraine.
The mercenary uprising took place when Ukraine occupied territory occupied by Russia within its territory. counterattack effort. Fighting has increased, but Kiev’s efforts have only produced limited profit hitherto.
— CNBC’s Holly Ellyatt contributed.
