Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to put down the “armed mutiny” by Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin after his forces appeared to take control of a Russian military headquarters responsible for overseeing the war in Ukraine.
Putin said in an address on Saturday that “any action” that divides the country betrays the Russian people and soldiers who are fighting, as Russia must be unified to fight Ukraine. He said ambition and personal interests have led to treason against the country, people and cause that soldiers for the Wagner Group, a Russian private military contractor, had been fighting for.
Putin said the attack betrays the memory of Wagner Group soldiers who died in key battles and is pushing the country toward anarchy and defeat in Ukraine.
“It is a blow to Russia, to our people. Our actions to defend the Fatherland from this threat will be harsh. All those who have consciously chosen the path of betrayal, planned an armed mutiny and taken the path of blackmail and terrorism, will inevitably be punished and will answer before the law and our people,” he said.
Prigozhin’s Wagner Group has played a key role in the invasion of Ukraine, spearheading Russia’s seizure of the city of Bakhmut last month. But the group’s relations with the Russian military have broken down as Prigozhin has criticized military officials and others and accused them of not providing the supplies needed for success.
Tensions reached a boiling point on Friday after Prigozhin accused the Russian military of attacking his group’s camp, killing many of his fighters.
He also denounced attempted Russian justifications for the war, saying that Ukraine was not threatening Russia nor was it persecuting ethnic Russians in its territory at the time Russian forces invaded last year. He blamed Russian oligarchs for the war and said they are “practically ruling” the country.
Prigozhin called for an armed rebellion to remove Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu from power, accusing Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff, of deciding to destroy Wagner. Early Saturday local time, he said Wagner Group fighters had crossed from Ukraine into Russia and reached the town of Rostov-on-Don, home to the Russian military headquarters for the southern region. He declared that Wagner’s actions are not a “military coup but a march for justice.”
Putin said “counterterrorism measures” are in effect in Moscow and other regions, and action will be taken to secure Rostov.
Intelligence from the United Kingdom Defense Ministry states that Wagner forces have “almost certainly” occupied key security sites in Rostov, including the headquarters for running the war in Ukraine. The ministry said Wagner fighters are moving north toward Moscow, and some Russian security forces have likely not fought back against Wagner based on “very limited” evidence of fighting.
“Over the coming hours, the loyalty of Russia’s security forces, and especially the Russian National Guard, will be key to how the crisis plays out. This represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times,” the ministry said.
The Russian Federal Security Service, the successor agency to the Soviet Union’s KGB, has called for Prigozhin’s arrest on a charge of inciting an armed rebellion. This came only hours after a criminal case was opened against him.
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov also said his forces were prepared to help put down the rebellion, using whatever tactics are necessary, Reuters reported. Kadyrov had been an ally of Prigozhin and criticized Russia’s military, but more recently turned against Prigozhin’s denunciations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed “full support for the steps taken by the Russian leadership” in response to the “attempted arm rebellion” during a phone call with Putin that was initiated by Ankara, the Kremlin said in a post on its Telegram channel. Turkey has maintained ties with Russia amid the Ukraine war and has not imposed international sanctions on the country like the majority of its fellow NATO members have.
— Updated at 9:23 a.m.