PM says Russia must stay united behind Putin

On Monday, Russian PM Mishustin said that the country had faced "a challenge to its stability" and made a call to remain united behind President Putin. The crisis was defused after a deal was made late on Saturday to avoid bloodshed. The has repeatedly been brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that defused the crisis. The Kremlin said the Wagner Group mercenaries would return to base, and their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin would move to Belarus. All criminal charges against him and his fighters would be dropped, the Kremlin said. In the first public comments by a senior Russian official since then, Mishustin called for national unity in the face of what he said were efforts by the West to undermine Russia during a televised government meeting.

Defence minister appears for first time after mercenary move against him

In a video released by his ministry, the Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was shown speaking to the troops, his first known appearance since the mutiny. The video did not have any sound, and it was not immediately clear where or when the visit took place. The defense minister was shown flying in a plane with a colleague and hearing reports at a command post run by Russia's Zapad (West) military grouping. During his mutiny, renegade Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin seized control of Russia's military headquarters in southern Russia and demanded that Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the General Staff, be handed over to him so that he could "restore justice". According to the Defence ministry’s TV channel, Zvezda, Shoigu looked physically unharmed and calm and had listened to a report by Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov, the group's commander, about the current situation on the front lines in Ukraine.

No sign of Putin or Prigozhin after deal ending revolt

Ever since the diffusion of the crises in Russia, there has been no sign of Russian President Vladimir Putin or Yevgeny Prigozhin. On Saturday, Putin said that the rebellion by the Wagner group had threatened Russia's very existence under threat and vowed to crush it. However, since the diffusion of the crisis, he has not made any public comments.

Moscow cancels counter-terrorism measures, Russia said 'stable'

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that he is canceling a counter-terrorism regime imposed in the capital after the crisis ended. Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said that the situation in the country was stable.

Western leaders say events show cracks in Russia's facade

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Luxembourg that "the political system is showing fragilities, and the military power is cracking”. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Putin's invasion of Ukraine, which he calls a "special military operation" to counter a threat to Russia from there and the West, was destroying Russia and the West would continue to back Kyiv. China, which is Russia’s ally, said it supported Moscow in maintaining national stability when a senior Russian diplomat was visiting on Sunday. Ukraine and some of its Western allies said that the turmoil revealed cracks in Russia.

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This is an archive article published on June 26, 2023

Wagner mutiny: Russian PM calls for unity behind Putin, NATO chief says rebellion shows weakness of leadership

Here are the key updates from Russia today after an armed mutiny took place over the weekend against President Vladimir Putin

Since then, there has been no sight of Putin or the mutiny leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. However, the Kremlin calls for unity behind President Putin. And Western countries leaders say events reveal cracks in Russia's facade.

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Two days after the powerful Wagner Group attempted an armed mutiny against Russian President Vladimir Putin in the midst of Ukraine war, the country’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin admitted that Russia has faced “a challenge to its stability” and must remain united behind the President.

While Wagner fighters halted a rapid advance on Moscow and withdrew from the seized southern Russian city of Rostov under a deal that guaranteed their safety, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stolenberg said the aborted mutiny demonstrated the weakness of the Russian leadership and the scale of the Kremlin’s strategic mistake in waging war on Ukraine.

According to the Kremlin, Wagner commander Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had demanded that Russia’s defence minister and the army’s top general be handed over to him, would move to Belarus under the deal mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Here are the top five developments from Russia today:

01
PM says Russia must stay united behind Putin
On Monday, Russian PM Mishustin said that the country had faced "a challenge to its stability" and made a call to remain united behind President Putin.

The crisis was defused after a deal was made late on Saturday to avoid bloodshed. The has repeatedly been brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that defused the crisis. The Kremlin said the Wagner Group mercenaries would return to base, and their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin would move to Belarus. All criminal charges against him and his fighters would be dropped, the Kremlin said.

In the first public comments by a senior Russian official since then, Mishustin called for national unity in the face of what he said were efforts by the West to undermine Russia during a televised government meeting.
02
Defence minister appears for first time after mercenary move against him
In a video released by his ministry, the Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was shown speaking to the troops, his first known appearance since the mutiny.

The video did not have any sound, and it was not immediately clear where or when the visit took place. The defense minister was shown flying in a plane with a colleague and hearing reports at a command post run by Russia's Zapad (West) military grouping.

During his mutiny, renegade Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin seized control of Russia's military headquarters in southern Russia and demanded that Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, the Chief of the General Staff, be handed over to him so that he could "restore justice".

According to the Defence ministry’s TV channel, Zvezda, Shoigu looked physically unharmed and calm and had listened to a report by Colonel General Yevgeny Nikiforov, the group's commander, about the current situation on the front lines in Ukraine.
03
No sign of Putin or Prigozhin after deal ending revolt
Ever since the diffusion of the crises in Russia, there has been no sign of Russian President Vladimir Putin or Yevgeny Prigozhin.

On Saturday, Putin said that the rebellion by the Wagner group had threatened Russia's very existence under threat and vowed to crush it. However, since the diffusion of the crisis, he has not made any public comments.
04
Moscow cancels counter-terrorism measures, Russia said 'stable'
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that he is canceling a counter-terrorism regime imposed in the capital after the crisis ended. Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said that the situation in the country was stable.
05
Western leaders say events show cracks in Russia's facade
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters in Luxembourg that "the political system is showing fragilities, and the military power is cracking”.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Putin's invasion of Ukraine, which he calls a "special military operation" to counter a threat to Russia from there and the West, was destroying Russia and the West would continue to back Kyiv.

China, which is Russia’s ally, said it supported Moscow in maintaining national stability when a senior Russian diplomat was visiting on Sunday. Ukraine and some of its Western allies said that the turmoil revealed cracks in Russia.