Russian military helicopters reportedly opened fire Saturday on an army of mercenary rebels who are advancing toward Moscow as the country rapidly descends into chaos, with Russian President Vladimir Putin pledging to crush the 'treason' now...
It’s been a stunning turn of events in Russia as Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the powerful Wagner Group and formerly a key figure in the highest level of military circles in Moscow, launched an armed rebellion aimed at toppling the leadership of Russia’s embattled Defense Ministry. The move, which Mr. Putin dubbed a “stab in the back,” comes after months of Mr.
“We will defend both our people and our statehood from any threats, including internal treachery. What we have been confronted with can be precisely called treachery. The unbounded ambitions and personal interests have led to a treason and a betrayal of the country and its people,” Mr. Putin said, according to Moscow’s state-run Tass News Agency.
“The heroes who liberated Soledar and Artyomovsk, towns and settlements in Donbas, who fought and lost their lives for Novorossiya, for the unity of the Russian world — their name and glory have also been betrayed by those who are trying to stage a mutiny and pushing the country towards anarchy and fratricide, defeat and finally surrender,” he said, according to Tass.
One of the biggest questions is how much support Mr. Prigozhin and his fighters may have within the Russian military establishment itself. It’s unclear how the Wagner fighters were able to enter and control Rostov-on-Don so quickly, and their apparent success suggests that perhaps the Russian rank and file are not putting up a great deal of resistance.Indeed, foreign intelligence analysts say that dynamic — whether the Russian armed forces remain loyal to Mr.
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