Prigozhin's rebellion underlines differences in Russian government – Macron
Following the opinion of French President Emmanuel Macron, the rebellion of mercenaries of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) led by Yevgeny Prigozhin "underlines the differences existing in Russia's ruling circles".
Source: Macron in an interview with La Provence
Details: Macron noted that he "followed the events every hour" due to the rebellion.
He added that "the situation is still developing. But it underlines the differences existing in Russia and the fragility of both its army and auxiliary forces, such as the Wagner Group".
"This should make us to be extremely vigilant and fully justify the support we provide to the Ukrainians in their resistance," the French president emphasised.
Background:
- On the evening of 23 June, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that the regular Russian army had launched a missile strike on the Wagner mercenaries’ rear camps. He, therefore, deployed 25,000 of his mercenaries "to restore justice".
- On the morning of 24 June, Prigozhin claimed that his forces had taken control of military facilities in Rostov-on-Don, including the air base, and were heading "to Moscow" and that his soldiers had shot down three Russian helicopters. Wagner mercenaries also seized military facilities in the Russian city of Voronezh.
- In an emergency address on 24 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was "fighting for survival" and that attempts were being made to "organise a rebellion" in the country.
- On the afternoon of 24 June, Russian media reported that the Office of the President of the Russian Federation anticipated that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group fighters were likely to reach Moscow’s outskirts in the next few hours, with fighting expected near Russia’s capital. Ukrainian intelligence had information that Putin had urgently left Moscow for his residence in Valdai. The convoy of the Wagner Group’s forces was spotted 400 kilometres from Moscow.
- On the evening of Saturday, 24 June, after a conversation with Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, Prigozhin announced that his mercenaries were turning their convoys around and going in the opposite direction, back to their field camps. Later, the Kremlin announced that the criminal case against Prigozhin would be closed and he would "go to Belarus".
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