Putin speaks out about the operation in Ukraine after the Wagner rebellion

Speaking after stopping a rebellion by the private military group Wagner, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the “special military operation” in Ukraine continues to be his top priority.

“My every day begins and ends with this (the situation of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine),” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on national television on June 25.

The Kremlin owner also said that he “regularly communicates” with officials of the Russian Defense Ministry.

According to Sky News, President Putin said that he believes that all the plans and goals he has laid out regarding the “special military operation” in Ukraine will come true.

“We are confident and of course we can complete all the plans and tasks ahead. The same is true of the national defense, economic situation and also the special military operation (in Ukraine).” , the Russian leader said.

These are Putin’s first statements after Russia reached an agreement to end the armed rebellion of the Wagner private military force.

On the evening of June 23, the leader of the private military company Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Russian military of launching rocket attacks on their positions, killing many of their fighters.

Prigozhin claimed to lead 25,000 Wagner soldiers on a journey “for justice” from the Ukrainian battlefield, across the border into the Rostov region in the south of Russia.

After capturing all Russian military facilities in the strategic city of Rostov-on-Don, Wagner’s military convoy continued to move towards Moscow despite warnings and offers of negotiations from Russian officials.

The situation only subsided after the Russian government and Wagner reached an agreement thanks to the reconciliation efforts of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Under this agreement, Prigozhin agreed to order a halt to the march into Moscow, demanding that Wagner forces withdraw to base. He also accepted a move to Belarus.

In return, Russia will drop the criminal investigation into Mr. Prigozhin, pledging to guarantee his safety. In addition, Moscow also granted immunity from prosecution for Wagner members who participated in the mutiny, leaving open the possibility of contracting Wagner soldiers unrelated to the mutiny.

However, it is not clear whether the Kremlin will make any other concessions to Wagner, such as changing personnel in the Russian Defense Ministry.

Currently, Wagner’s units have all withdrawn from the military facilities they have captured in Rostov-on-Don and Voronezh, southern Russia, but the whereabouts of the tycoon Prigozhin are unknown.

The Rostov region has lifted all traffic restrictions that were introduced on June 24. Meanwhile, the Moscow region still maintains an anti-terrorism mechanism. Moscow workers will be off work tomorrow , June 26, for security reasons.

Special Forces Akhmat of the Republic of Chechnya was also ordered to leave Rostov province to return to combat positions after Wagner’s forces withdrew. Before that, about 3,000 Chechen soldiers were withdrawn from the Ukrainian battlefield, rushing to Rostov to increase security while the Russian army set up checkpoints at Moscow’s gateway to prevent Wagner from entering the capital.

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