Putin’s strong stance and proposed stern action against the “Rebel Russian Mercenaries” resulted in halt of the mercenaries advance towards Moscow

ROSTOV-ON-DON / VORONEZH, Russia, 25 June, 2023 (The HQ News) – Putin’s strong stance and proposed stern action against the “Rebel Russian Mercenaries” resulted in halt of the heavily armed Russian mercenaries advance towards Moscow.

The mercenaries leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former Putin ally and founder of the Wagner army, said his men reached within 125 miles (200 km) of the capital Moscow on Saturday but de-escalated from further advancement to avoid bloodshed, as per sources on Putin orders heavily armed soldiers were deployed to take stern action against the approaching mercenaries.

The residents of Moscow were directed by the Russian government to stay indoors.

The Wagner fighters showing their might captured the city of Rostov hundreds of miles to the south before racing north in convoy, transporting tanks and armored trucks and smashing through barricades set up to stop them.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that under a deal brokered by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, the criminal case opened against Prigozhin for armed mutiny would be dropped, Prigozhin would move to Belarus, and Wagner fighters who joined his “march for justice” would face no action, in recognition of their previous service to Russia.

On Saturday night (24^th June), they began withdrawing from the Rostov military headquarters they had seized, as per sources.

Peskov, who called the events of the day “tragic”, said Lukashenko had offered to mediate, with Putin’s approval, because he had known Prigozhin personally for around 20 years.

A video released from undisclosed location by Prigozhin (dressed in full combat uniform) he claimed that:  “In 24 hours we got to within 200 km of Moscow. In this time we did not spill a single drop of our fighters’ blood, understanding … that Russian blood will be spilled on one side, we are turning our columns around and going back to field camps as planned.”

Mild resistance from Russian Armed Forces

Sources claim that to avoid blood shed of Russia’s own citizens initially mild resistance was shown to Wagner’s fast revolt but a strong message was delivered to Wagner and his army that if further proceeding will be done by them there will be no return and forgiveness and stern action against them will be taken – the message which Wagner wisely understood and broke the deal to step back.

Earlier, Prigozhin said his “march” on Moscow was intended to remove corrupt and incompetent Russian commanders he blames for botching the war in Ukraine.

In a televised address, Putin said the rebellion put Russia’s very existence under threat.

“We are fighting for the lives and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence, for the right to remain Russia, a state with a thousand-year history,” Putin said, vowing punishment for those behind “an armed insurrection”.

In later outlining the deal brokered by Lukashenko, Peskov said the agreement had the “higher goal” of avoiding confrontation and bloodshed.

Peskov declined to say whether any concessions were made to Prigozhin, other than guarantees of safety for him – something he said Putin gave his word to vouch for – and for Prigozhin’s men, to persuade him to withdraw all his forces.

Former convicts in Wagner Ranks

The fighters led by Prigozhin, a former convict, include thousands of ex-prisoners recruited from Russian jails.

His men fought the bloodiest battles of the 16-month Ukraine war, including for the eastern city of Bakhmut. He railed for months against the military’s top brass, especially Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, accusing them of incompetence and of withholding ammunition from his fighters.

This month, he defied orders to sign a contract placing his troops under Defence Ministry command.

He launched the apparent mutiny on Friday after alleging that the military had killed many of his fighters in an air strike. The Defence Ministry denied this.

He said he had captured the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District without firing a shot in Rostov, which serves as the main rear logistical hub for Russia’s entire invasion force in Ukraine.

Residents of the city had milled about calmly, filming on mobile phones as Wagner fighters in armoured vehicles and battle tanks took up positions.

Ukraine Reaction and increase in attacks against Russia

The insurrection risked leaving Russia’s invasion force in Ukraine in disarray, just as Kyiv is launching its strongest counteroffensive since the war began in February last year.

Some Ukrainians were excited at the prospect of a split in Russian ranks 16 months after the Kremlin’s troops invaded their country.

Ukraine’s military claimed on Saturday that its forces made advances near Bakhmut, on the eastern front, and further south.

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said an offensive was launched near a group of villages ringing Bakhmut, which was taken by Wagner forces in May after months of fighting.

Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, commander of the southern front, said Ukrainian forces had liberated an area near Krasnohorivka, west of the Russian-held regional centre of Donetsk.

Tarnavskiy said the area had been under Russian control since separatist forces backed by Moscow seized it in 2014.

Ukrainian President Zelenskiy commenting on the situation said:  “Today the world can see that the masters of Russia control nothing. And that means nothing. Simply complete chaos. An absence of any predictability,” Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.

President Vladimir Putin address to his nation on Saturday 24th June, 2023

Earlier on Saturday 24th June, 2023 President Vladimir Putin addressed his nation in an emergency televised address in Moscow, taking a hard stance against “the internal betrayal from within Russia allegedly sponsored by the west”.

The complete address of Putin was as follows:

“I appeal to the citizens of Russia, to the personnel of the armed forces, law enforcement and security services, fighters and commanders currently fighting on their positions, repelling the enemy attacks, doing it heroically.

I spoke to the commanders in all directions last night. I appeal also to those who were deceptively pulled into the criminal adventure, pushed towards a serious crime of an armed mutiny.

Today Russia is fighting fiercely for its future, repelling the aggression of neo-Nazis and their handlers. Directed against us is the whole military, economical and information machines of the West.

We fight for the lives and security of our people; for our sovereignty and independence; for the right to remain Russia, a state with a thousand-year history.

This battle, where the fate of our people is being decided, requires all our forces to be united; unity, consolidation and responsibility. Everything that weakens us must be put to the side, any differences that may be used or are used by our enemies to disrupt us from within.

Thus, the actions splitting our unity are a betrayal of our people, of our brothers in combat who fight now at the front line. It’s a stab in the back of our country and our people.

It was such a blow that was dealt to Russia in 1917 when the country was fighting in World War I, but its victory was stolen.

Intrigues, bickering and politicking behind the back of the army and the people turned out to be the greatest catastrophe, the destruction of the army and the state, loss of huge territories, resulting in a tragedy and a civil war.

Russians were killing Russians, brothers killing brothers. The beneficiaries of that were various political chevaliers of fortune and foreign powers who divided the country, and tore it into parts.

We will not let this happen again. We will protect our people and state from any threats, including internal betrayal. What we’re facing is exactly a betrayal.

Big ambitions and personal interests led to treason. Betrayal of one’s own country and people and of the cause that fighters of Wagner were dying for alongside our soldiers. Heroes who liberated Soledar and Artemovsk, towns and cities of the Donbas, who fought and gave their lives to Novorossiya and for the unity of the Russian world. Their name and glory have been betrayed by those who are trying to organise the mutiny, pushing the country into anarchy and fratricide, to a defeat, in the end, and capitulation.

I repeat: any internal mutiny is a deadly threat to our state, to us as a nation. It’s a blow against Russia, against our people. And our actions to defend the fatherland from such a threat will be brutal.

Anyone who consciously went on the path of betrayal, who prepared the armed mutiny, went on the path of blackmail and terrorist actions, will be punished inevitably. They will answer before the law and our people.

The armed forces and other departments have received the necessary orders. Additional anti-terrorist security measures are now being implemented in Moscow, Moscow region, and a number of other regions. Decisive actions will be taken to stabilise the situation in Rostov-on-Don, which still remains difficult. The operation of civilian and military control departments is practically blocked.

As a president of Russia and the commander-in-chief, as a citizen of Russia, I will do everything to defend the country, protect the Constitution, lives and safety, liberty of the citizens.

Those who organised and prepared the military mutiny, who turned weapons against their comrades-in-arms, have betrayed Russia, and will be held accountable for that.

And those who are being pulled into the crime, I’m calling on you to not make this crucial, tragic, unrepeatable mistake.

Make the only right choice – stop participating in criminal actions.

I believe that we will defend and preserve what’s sacred for us. And together with the motherland, we will overcome all challenges, and become even stronger.”

Reaction of the West

The western capitals were closely following the situation with their major media and government officials delighted to have the internal civil war being started in Russia.

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of Germany, France and Britain, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to G7 counterparts. The top U.S. military officer, Army General Mark Milley, canceled a scheduled trip to the Middle East in view of the Russian situation.

They were excited that this would be the start of the end of Putin regime but to their utter shock Putin still the most powerful president of Russia managed to cool off the situation intelligently and dispersed the potential threat to his power and the stable Russia’s future.