Following the mutiny by the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, which President Vladimir Putin described as a “stab in the back” of the nation, Russia has proclaimed an “anti-terrorist operation regime” in Moscow and the surrounding area.
In an urgent televised address to the nation on Saturday, Putin declared the “armed mutiny” to be treason and vowed to punish those who had used weapons against the Russian military.
According to Putin, this is a “stab in the back” to our nation and country. Betrayal is exactly what we have been dealing with. Treason was a result of lofty goals and private interests.”
He spoke after Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed to be in Rostov-on-Don, the army headquarters, and to be in control of military installations there.
According to Putin, “All those who knowingly followed the path of betrayal, planned an armed uprising, followed the path of extortion and terrorist methods, will suffer inevitable punishment, before the law and before our people.”
A regime of anti-terror operations has been put in place, according to a statement from Russia’s national anti-terrorist committee, “with the aim of preventing potential terrorist acts on the territory of Moscow city and the Moscow region.”
In the southern Voronezh region, where some reports claimed Wagner mercenaries were traveling, Russia also declared an anti-terrorist operation.
Sergei Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, stated that the measure was “aimed at enhancing security.”
He said there was “additional control” on the roads and that large-scale events in the capital might be curtailed.
According to Moscow’s transport department, bus routes from the city to “southern directions” may experience delays.”
After accusing the Russian top brass of conducting airstrikes against his men, Prigozhin issued the boldest challenge to President Putin since the start of the offensive in Ukraine last year.
Putin urged the nation to unite as he referred to the Wagner military group’s effort to unseat the government’s top officials as a “deadly threat” to Russia.
“Our nation and statehood are both gravely threatened by any internal unrest. This is a setback for Russia and our people, he continued, adding that this battle, which will determine the fate of our people, calls for unity and the unification of all forces.”
The Wagner fighters were urged to detain Prigozhin after the FSB security service accused him of attempting to start a “civil conflict.”
Wagner fighters were urged by the Russian defense ministry to “show reason” and flee Prigozhin, claiming that doing so would “guarantee their safety.”.
Sergei Shoigu, the defense minister, and Valery Gerasimov, the head of the general staff, were to be removed from office, according to Prigozhin, for what he called their disastrous management of the war against Ukraine.
He claimed to have 25,000 fighters ready to “restore justice” and claimed—without offering any proof—that the military had killed a significant portion of his fighters in an airstrike. The defense ministry refuted his claims.
Later on Saturday, Prigozhin stated that Putin was “deeply mistaken” in labeling the Wagner fighters who were in rebellion as “traitors,” and he ruled out surrender.
“The president is utterly wrong about treason against the motherland. We are citizens of our motherland, he declared in a Telegram audio message. “No one intends to surrender themselves at the request of the president, the FSB, or anyone else.”
Kirill, the head of Russia’s Orthodox community, urged “unity” and expressed support for President Putin.
“Today, as our brothers battle and lose their lives on the front lines. The greatest crime that can be committed without cause is any attempt to sow division within the nation”, according to Patriarch Kirill.
“I support the efforts made by the leader of the Russian state to prevent unrest in my nation.”
Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen nation, declared that his troops were prepared to assist in quelling the uprising and, if necessary, use harsh measures.
In a statement published on Telegram, Kadyrov called Prigozhin’s actions “a knife in the back” and urged Russian soldiers to resist any “provocations.” Toward the “zones of tension,” he claimed, Chechen units were moving and would act to “preserve Russia’s units and defend its statehood.”
