Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to punish “traitors” of the Wagner mercenary group after their leader vowed to bring down Moscow’s military leadership.
Since Friday, Yevgeny Prigozhin (62) has released a string of messages in which he claims that he and his mercenaries entered the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and took over control of army premises.
Here’s what we know:
What caused the rebellion?
For months now, Prigozhin has been embroiled in a bitter power struggle with Russian army chiefs on whom he blames for the deaths of his troops in Ukraine.
He has repeatedly accused them of failing to properly equip his private army, of stalling processes with bureaucracy and then claiming his teams’ victories as their own.
On Friday, Prigozhin’s anger appeared to have boiled over when he accused Moscow’s military leaders of ordering attacks on Wagner camps and causing large numbers of deaths.
He says they must be stopped and that he will fight to the end.
He later also claimed that his forces shot down a Russian army helicopter.
Hours later, the leader of the mercenaries said military premises in Rostov-on-Don were now “contained”.
How does Moscow respond?
The Kremlin said overnight that “measures are being introduced” against the mutiny. Russia has already tightened security in Moscow, as well as in regions such as Rostov and Lipetsk.
Putin called the Wagner mutiny a “deadly threat” to Russia and appealed to the country to unite.
He labeled the action as “treason” and promised “inevitable punishment”.
What is the reaction of world leaders?
Worldwide, the events are being watched with a hawk’s eye.
Ukraine’s pres. Volodymyr Zelenski says it shows that Russia is weak.
“Russia’s weakness is obvious. Full scale weakness. And the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries in our country, the more chaos, pain and problems it will cause later,” he said in a message on social media.
America’s pres. Joe Biden has been informed of events and will consult with the US’s allies about the developments, said Adam Hodge, spokesman for the National Security Council.
European Union chief Charles Michel tweeted that the bloc was following events as they unfolded and was in touch with European leaders and G7 partners.
“This is clearly an internal Russian issue,” he tweeted and also said that the EU’s support for Ukraine remains unwavering.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asked all parties to act responsibly and protect civilians. He will also speak to British allies about the situation later today.
Sweden’s foreign minister, Tobias Billstrom, tweeted that the situation was “serious” and that they were monitoring it continuously.
Governments follow developments in Russia closely, seriously.
— Tobias Billström (@TobiasBillstrom) June 24, 2023
In Norway, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anniken Huitfeldt, said that Oslo is also monitoring the “dramatic situation in Russia” and that the Norwegian government is in close contact with its embassy in Moscow.
The British Department of Defense said in an intelligence report that the events “represent the most serious challenge to the Russian state in recent times”.
Who are the Wagner soldiers?
The private army has been involved in conflicts in the Middle East and Africa in the past – but has always denied involvement.
Prigozhin admitted last year that he set up the group and recruited soldiers in Russian prisons in exchange for amnesty.
In eastern Ukraine, the mercenary army has been at the forefront of Russia’s costly battles.
It was also at the forefront of the months-long assault on Bakhmut, an area they took over on behalf of Russia – but at great loss.
How does this affect Russia’s war?
The rebellion is described as the most serious challenge yet to Putin’s long-standing rule and Russia’s most serious security crisis since he took power in late 1999.
The developments are likely to divert resources and attention from the battlefields in Ukraine at a time when Kiev is in the middle of a counter-offensive to take back some of its territory.
The Ukrainian military says it is closely monitoring the infighting between Putin and Prigozhin.
Meanwhile, Moscow has warned that Kiev’s army is using the moment to gather its forces for an offensive action near Bakhmut.
