Page 60 - Vladimir Putin

Belarus Prez says Prigozhin, who led rebellion in Russia, is in his country

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed on Tuesday that Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the mercenary group Wagner, has arrived in Belarus after a short-lived armed mutiny in Russia. Prigozhin's exile in Belarus had been announced by the Kremlin earlier as part of the deal that ended the rebellion. Lukashenko on Tuesday said Prigozhin has moved to Belarus and he and some of his troops would be welcome to stay in Belarus for some time at their own expense. Russian authorities said on Tuesday they have closed a criminal investigation into the aborted armed rebellion led by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and are pressing no charges against him or his troops. The Federal Security Service, or FSB, said its investigation found that those involved in the mutiny, which lasted less than 24 hours after Prigozhin declared it on Friday, ceased activities directed at committing the crime, so the case would not be pursued. It was the latest twist in a series of stunning events that ha

Russia drops charges against Prigozhin, others who were part of mutiny

Russian authorities said Tuesday they have closed a criminal investigation into the armed rebellion led by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, with no charges against him or any of the other participants. The Federal Security Service, or FSB, said its investigation found that those involved in the mutiny ceased activities directed at committing the crime, so the case would not be pursued. The announcement was the latest twist in a series of stunning events in recent days that have brought the gravest threat so far to President Vladimir Putin's grip on power amid the 16-month-old war in Ukraine. Over the weekend, the Kremlin pledged not to prosecute Prigozhin and his fighters after he stopped the revolt on Saturday, even though Putin had branded them as traitors. The charge of mounting an armed mutiny carries a punishment of up to 20 years in prison. Prigozhin escaping prosecution poses a stark contrast to how the Kremlin has treated those staging anti-government protests in ...

Putin blasts Wagner traitors in speech as Prigozhin defends revolt

Putin spoke hours after Prigozhin denied that his march on the capital was a coup attempt and said he'd keep his mercenary company going despite official efforts to shut it down

G7 to work closely following Russia uprising: Japanese PM Kishida

He made these remarks in reference to the rebellion that seemed to have dealt a blow to the authority of Russian President Vladimir Putin

President Putin's position is absolutely stable: Russian diplomat

President Vladimir Putin's position is absolutely stable and there is no change in overall situation in Russia, a senior Kremlin diplomat said on Monday, days after a brief rebellion against Putin by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. Russia's special presidential representative for international cultural cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy said Prigozhin wanted to become Russian president but it was a "mistake". Shvydkoy, currently on a visit to India, was speaking to a small group of reporters here. "The current situation in Russia is stable and the contemporary position of President Putin is also absolutely stable," he said, replying to a question. Shvydkoy, a former minister of culture, said Russians get fully united when the country faces any challenging situation. "The situation is more or less the same. Russia is totally united," he said while refusing to elaborate further. The rebellion by Prigozhin and the forces loyal to him marked the most serious challenge to President Puti

It was a protest, not an attempt to overthrow regime: Wagner leader

Putin 'reappears' as govt calls on nation to unite behind him; Prigozhin still faces mutiny case

From Russia, with doubt

Instability in Moscow raises issues for India

Wagner mercenary leader issues 1st audio statement since halting mutiny

Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday released the first audio statement since an aborted armed rebellion he staged on Saturday, defending the move as a reaction to an attack on his force that killed some of his 30 fighters. We started our march because of an injustice, Prigozhin said in an 11-minute audio. He didn't offer any details as to where he was or what his future plans are. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu made his first public appearance since a mercenary uprising demanded his ouster, inspecting troops in Ukraine in a video released on Monday aimed at projecting a sense of order after the country's most serious political crisis in decades. But uncertainty still swirled about his fate, as well as that of rebellion leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his private army, the impact on the war in Ukraine, and even the political future of President Vladimir Putin. A feud between Wagner Group leader Prigozhin and Russia's military brass that has festered throughout the war erupt

EU urges caution as mercenary revolt raises doubts on Putin's grip on Power

European Union ministers urged caution on Monday over a failed revolt by mercenary soldiers in Russia. This came after the incident raised troubling questions about Russian President Vladimir Putin's grip on power and whether Wagner group fighters might install themselves just over the border in Belarus. At the talks in Luxembourg, some EU foreign ministers likened the short-lived uprising led by Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin to Putin unleashing Frankenstein's monster of his own creation, and to some powerful and evil spirit. But several others, concerned that they might be seen to be offering support, were at pains to point out that the revolt remains an internal Russian affair, and that many questions remain unanswered, including Prigozhin's precise whereabouts and whether he may be taking troops with him. Most seemed to agree that the incident will have security implications for Europe and that the important thing is to help Ukraine take advantage of the situation. We a

Putin weakened by Wagner Group mutiny, Ukraine missed opportunity

On Friday June 23 2023, Prigozhin ordered 25,000 of his troops on to a march for justice, which duly set out to confront the Russian president in Moscow

With Russia revolt over, direction of Ukraine war remain uncertain

The rebellious mercenary soldiers who briefly took over a Russian military headquarters on an ominous march toward Moscow were gone Sunday, but the short-lived revolt has weakened President Vladimir Putin just as his forces are facing a fierce counteroffensive in Ukraine. Under terms of the agreement that ended the crisis, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led his Wagner troops in the failed uprising, will go into exile in Belarus but will not face prosecution. But it was unclear what would ultimately happen to him and his forces. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who brokered the deal, released few details. Neither Prigozhin nor Putin has been heard from, and top Russian military leaders have also remained silent. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described the weekend's events as extraordinary, recalling that 16 months ago Putin appeared poised to seize the capital of Ukraine and now he has had to defend Moscow from forces led by his onetime protege. I think we've seen more ..

Wagner Group Revolt: What We Know About Russia's Growing Unrest

Vladimir Putin on Saturday vowed to defend the country from an armed rebellion declared by mercenary chief Prigozhin, which Putin called a stab in the back to Russia. Watch the video to know more

Wagner group's revolt against Moscow fizzles but exposes vulnerabilities

The greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power fizzled out after the rebellious mercenary commander who ordered his troops to march on Moscow abruptly reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and sounded the retreat. The brief revolt, though, exposed vulnerabilities among Russian government forces, with Wagner Group soldiers under the command of Yevgeny Prigozhin able to move unimpeded into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and advance hundreds of kilometres toward Moscow. The Russian military scrambled to defend Russia's capital. Under the deal announced Saturday by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin will go to neighbouring Belarus, which has supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Charges against him of mounting an armed rebellion will be dropped. The government also said it would not prosecute Wagner fighters who took part, while those who did not join in were to be offered contracts by the Defence Ministry. ...

Prigozhin will move to Belarus after his rebellious march, says Kremlin

Russian military company Wagner will move to neighbouring Belarus as part of deal to defuse rebellion tensions and the criminal case against him will be closed, the Kremlin said Saturday. Yevgeny Prigozhin's troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. After the deal was reached, Prigozhin said he was ordering his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. The deal appeared to defuse a dramatically escalating crisis that represented the most significant challenge to President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power. The deal was mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a staunch Putin ally.

Prigozhin orders Wagner mercenaries to halt Moscow march, return to Ukraine

The head of the private Russian military force Wagner said Saturday he has ordered his mercenaries to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to their field camps in Ukraine to avoid shedding Russian blood. The announcement from Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared to defuse a dramatically escalating crisis that represented the most significant challenge to President Vladimir Putin's leadership in his more than two decades in power. Moscow had braced for the arrival of a private army led by the rebellious mercenary commander by erecting checkpoints with armored vehicles and troops on its southern edge. Red Square was shut down, and the mayor urged motorists to stay off some roads. Prigozhin said that while his men were just 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Moscow, he decided to turn them back to avoid shedding Russian blood. He didn't say whether Moscow has responded to his demand to oust Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin. The announcement followe

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Biden, Macron, Sunak discuss rebellion declared by Russian mercenary

US President Joe Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday about the situation in Russia. According to a statement from the White House, the four leaders reaffirmed their support for Ukraine during the conversation. However, the White House said U.S. officials were wary of weighing in further on the situation and "wanted to avoid any comment that could be misconstrued to suggest the U.S. was taking a side in the apparently internal conflict. A popular Russian military blogger says the Wagner mercenaries shot down a Russian Ka-52 helicopter gunship in the Voronezh region on Saturday. Yevgeny Poddubny said both crewmembers were killed and posted pictures of the helicopter's charred debris. Russian media and military bloggers reported several purported helicopter attacks on advancing Wagner convoys. Another popular blogger, a former military pilot using the nickname Fighterbomber, said that Wagne

Russia urges Wagner forces to return to 'points of permanent deployment'

Russian Ministry of Defence noted that Moscow has already provided such assistance to all the fighters and commanders who applied for it. It further said that it would "guarantee everyone's safety"

Putin calls Prigozhin's armed rebellion a betrayal, vows to defend Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation Saturday and vowed to defend the country and its people from an armed rebellion declared by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Putin said the mutiny amounted to a deadly threat to our statehood and vowed tough actions in response. All those who prepared the rebellion will suffer inevitable punishment. The armed forces and other government agencies have received the necessary orders, Putin said. He called Prigozhin's actions, without referring to the owner of the Wagner private military company by name, a betrayal and a treason." He urged those who are being dragged into this crime not to make a fatal and tragic, unique mistake, to make the only right choice to stop participating in criminal acts. Putin condemned the rebellion at a time when Russia was fighting the toughest battle for its future with its war in Ukraine. The entire military, economic and information machine of the West is waged against us, Putin said. This battl

Putin addresses Russia after mercenary chief calls for rebellion call

Russian President Vladimir Putin is addressing the nation Saturday, after mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin called for armed rebellion and reached a key Russian city with his troops. Prigozhin, owner of the Wagner private military company, has claimed that his forces had military facilities in Russia's southern city of Rostov-on-Don under their control. We will destroy anyone who stands in our way, Prigozhin said in one of a series of angry video and audio recordings posted on social media beginning late Friday. We are moving forward and will go until the end. Russia's security services had responded to Prigozhin's declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. It was not immediately clear how he was able to enter the southern Russian city or how many troops he had with him.