Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that the country would defend itself from “internal treachery,” following the recent mutiny by Wagner Group fighters.
In a televised address, Putin said that the unfolding events were a betrayal of the country and its people. He stressed that Russia would not allow a civil war to repeat itself in the country.
The Telegram channel of Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin earlier posted several audio recordings with accusations against the country’s military leaders. In the wake of this, the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia has opened a criminal case into a call for an armed mutiny. The FSB urged Wagner fighters not to obey Prigozhin’s orders and take measures for his detention.
Putin said that the unbounded ambitions and personal interests of some individuals had led to a betrayal of the country and its people. He called the allegations of a mutiny “treachery” and said that the heroes who fought and lost their lives for Novorossiya had also been betrayed.
Putin stressed that Russia would defend both its people and its statehood from any threats, including internal treachery. He said that the country would not allow anarchy and fratricide to prevail.
Prigozhin accepted President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko’s proposal to stop the Wagner movement in Russia and take further steps to de-escalate tensions, the press service of the Belarusian President reported.
“They were going to dismantle PMC Wagner. We came out on 23 June to the March of Justice. In a day, we walked nearly 200 km away from Moscow. At this time, we did not spill a single drop of blood from our fighters. Now, the moment has come when blood may spill. That’s why, understanding the responsibility for spilling Russian blood on one of the sides, we are turning back our convoys and going back to field camps according to the plan.”
On Saturday Prigozhin denounced corruption and bureaucracy in the Russian government. In a Telegram statement, the group’s chief said that Wagner are patriots of their country, but that they could no longer tolerate the theft of public funds and the misuse of military resources.
“We’re patriots of our Motherland. We fought and we are fighting, all fighters of PMC Wagner.
And no one is going to surrender to the demands of the President, FSB, or anyone else. Because we don’t want the country to live further in corruption, lies, and bureaucracy.”
The statement said that they had been sent to Africa and Ukraine on missions that were ultimately abandoned because the money that was supposed to be used to support those missions was instead stolen by government officials.
At the time of print, a Wagner convoy with about 5,000 fighters is nearing Moscow, a source close to the separatist leadership in Donetsk told Reuters.
In a Friday statement on his official Telegram channel, Prigozhin said that he and his 25,000 troops would “figure out why chaos is happening in the country.” He denied that he was calling for a military coup, but the Russian FSB intelligence and Anti-Terrorism Committee are now investigating Wagner’s leadership for incitement of armed rebellion.
The Wagner Group is a private military company (PMC) that is believed to have close ties with the Russian government. It was founded by Prigozhin, a wealthy businessman who owns multiple restaurants and catering companies that provide services for the Kremlin, in 2014.
The Wagner Group has been involved in several conflicts worldwide, including in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and the Central African Republic. The United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom have all imposed sanctions on the Wagner Group and its members.
Chechen Leader Kadyrov Slams Wagner Mutiny, Sends Commandos to Quell Unrest
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has condemned the armed mutiny of the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, as a “challenge to the state.” Kadyrov said that Chechen commandos are on the way to the areas of unrest and that they will do everything to “preserve the unity of Russia and to protect its statehood.”
“Whatever aims some may declare and whatever promises some may give – at a time like this the security of the state and unity of Russian society is above all! Look at how our enemies in the West are taking advantage of this situation. How many insinuations, how many lies, and how many false appeals that frighten our citizens and create the danger of a destabilizing situation are being used? These are the expected consequences of Prigozhin’s treacherous march,” Kadyrov wrote.
Kadyrov also urged the servicemen of the North Caucasus Military District not to yield to provocations. He said that the current events are a challenge to the state and that it is necessary for the military, security forces, governors, and the civilian population to rally around the national leader.
“Each of us sees only one part of the map, but he sees it all! The president noted quite correctly in his address to the nation – this is a military mutiny! There is no excuse for such actions! I fully support Putin’s every word,” Kadyrov said.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday that the country would not allow a mutiny led by mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin to turn into a coup or a global crisis.
Medvedev, who is now deputy Chairperson of Russia’s Security Council, said that if Russian nuclear weapons fell into the hands of “bandits,” the whole world would be on the brink of catastrophe.
