World News | Putin thanks for unity after failed rebellion across the country

MOSCOW, June 27 (Xinhua) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday thanked the people of the country for their unity as the weekend’s armed insurgency was aborted less than 24 hours after it started. Earlier in the day, the mercenary chief defended his short-lived rebellion in a boastful statement.

In his first appearance since the end of the rebellion, Putin also thanked most of the mercenaries for not allowing the situation to escalate into “bloodshed”. He said all necessary measures had been taken to protect the country and the people from the rebellion.

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He blamed “Russia’s enemies” and said they had “miscalculated”.

The Kremlin also tried to appear steady on Monday, when authorities released a video of Russia’s defense minister inspecting troops in Ukraine.

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Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the mercenary group, said he had no intention of staging a coup but was acting to prevent the destruction of his private military company Wagner. “We are marching because of injustice,” he said in an 11-minute statement, without elaborating where he was or what his plans were.

The feud between Wagner Group leaders and Russia’s military top brass has festered throughout the war, culminating in an insurgency when mercenaries left Ukraine over the weekend to seize military headquarters in southern Russian cities. They drove hundreds of miles toward Moscow seemingly unhindered before turning around less than 24 hours later on Saturday.

The Kremlin said a deal had been reached whereby Prigozhin would move to Belarus with his soldiers and receive an amnesty. His whereabouts were not confirmed on Monday, but popular Russian news channel Telegram reported that he was in a hotel in the Belarusian capital Minsk.

Prigozhin mocked the Russian military on Monday, calling his march a “master class” on how Russia should carry out its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. He also mocked the military’s failure to protect Russia, noting that the security gap allowed Wagner to travel 780 kilometers (500 miles) to Moscow without encountering resistance.

The bullish statement did not provide any clarity on what would ultimately happen to Prigozhin and his army under a deal said to be brokered by Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Prigozhin only said that Lukashenko “proposed to find a solution for the Wagner Private Military Company to continue its work within the legal jurisdiction.” Be clear which jurisdiction he is referring to. (Associated Press)

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