Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Monday that he allowed Saturday’s failed mutiny to continue for as long as it did in order to prevent bloodshed, while the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, who led the uprising, said he never intended to overthrow the government.
Putin’s broadcast address was his first time speaking out since Saturday, when he stated that the rebellion posed an existential threat to Russia and that those responsible would be punished. He additionally confirmed social media reports that Wagner forces had shot down Russian aircraft during the fighting.
Putin said that the unification of the Russian people, military, law enforcement, and security services to protect “the Fatherland” proved that Russia would not give in to blackmail or attempts to sow discord within the country.
Putin also stated that Russia’s enemies desired for the country to suffocate in bloody civil conflict.
There have been no official reports regarding the number of pilots killed or the number of aircraft shot down. On Saturday, however, some Russian Telegram channels tracking Russia’s military activity reported that 13 Russian pilots were killed during the day-long mutiny.
Putin stated that the leaders of the insurrection had committed a criminal act, resulting in division and a deterioration of the country, which is now confronting a massive external threat and unprecedented internal pressure. He added that the organizers of the mutiny had also betrayed the soldiers they commanded.
Prigozhin was last seen Saturday night beaming and high-fiving bystanders from the rear of an SUV as he retreated from a Russian city occupied by his men. He said that his fighters had halted their campaign to prevent carnage.
“We went as a protest demonstration, not to overthrow the government,” Prigozhin stated in the audio message.
On Saturday, Prigozhin announced that he was leaving Russia for Belarus in accordance with a deal arranged by Belarus’s president, Alexander Lukashenko.
The White House stated that it was unable to confirm if the Wagner chief was in Belarus.
