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MOSCOW:
Russian President Vladimir Putin is facing his biggest domestic crisis since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine after the head of the Wagner mercenary group said he has crossed into Russia with 25,000 troops
Rebellious Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin demanded that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff, whom he has pledged to oust over what he says is their disastrous leadership of the war against Ukraine, come to see him in Rostov, a city near the Ukrainian border.
He had earlier said that he had 25,000 fighters moving towards Moscow to “restore justice” and had alleged, without providing evidence, that the military had killed a huge number of fighters from his Wagner private militia in an air strike, something the defence ministry denied.
“Those who destroyed our lads, who destroyed the lives of many tens of thousands of Russian soldiers, will be punished. I ask that no one offer resistance…,” he said in one of many frenzied audio messages. “There are 25,000 of us and we are going to figure out why chaos is happening in the country,” he said, promising to destroy any checkpoints or air forces that got in Wagner’s way.
Prigozhin, whose Wagner militia spearheaded the capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut last month, has for months been openly accusing Shoigu and Gerasimov of incompetence and of denying Wagner ammunition and support in its battles in Ukraine.
Security in several major Russian cities, including capital Moscow, has been tightened after Prigozhin claimed control of the military headquarters of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.
Terming it “internal treason”, Vladimir Putin vowed the harshest punishment against those rebelling. The Russia President also acknowledged that the situation in Rostov is “difficult”.
Putin said that “excessive ambitions and vested interests have led to treason”, and called the mutiny a “stab in the back”.
“It is a blow to Russia, to our people. And our actions to defend the Fatherland against such a threat will be harsh,” Putin said.
