Mutiny organizers betrayed people, those dragged in mutiny, Putin says
POLITICS: MUTINY-BETRAYAL-PUTIN
MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/. The organizers of an armed mutiny betrayed not only their country and people, but those who were dragged into the crime, pushing them under fire and shooting their own men, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his televised address on Monday.
According to Putin, "the organizers of mutiny by betraying their own country, their people, also betrayed those who were dragged into the crime, pushed them to death, under the fire, to shoot their own men."
On the evening of June 23, several audio recordings were posted on the Telegram channel of Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. In particular, he claimed that his units had come under attack, blaming the Russian military. The Federal Security Service (FSB) launched a criminal probe into calls for armed mutiny. In turn, the Russian Defense Ministry slammed the Wagner boss’ allegations of a strike on the PMC’s "rear camps" as fake news. The PMC units that supported Prigozhin headed to Rostov-on-Don and then turned toward Moscow. Putin, in a televised address to the nation on Saturday, described the Wagner group’s actions as armed mutiny and a betrayal, vowing to take tough measures against the mutineers.
Later on Saturday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in coordination with Putin, held talks with Prigozhin, resulting in the PMC standing down, turning its units around, and retreating to their base camps. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a criminal case against the Wagner chief would be dropped, while Prigozhin himself would go to Belarus. In addition, the Russian authorities pledged not to prosecute those Wagner PMC fighters who took part in the mutiny in light of their "frontline achievements."
ТАСС 26.06.2023, 23:58 MSK