President Vladimir Putin said Russia averted “civil war” following the armed rebellion by Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a public display of support for his military leadership that the mercenary chief had sought to overthrow.
“You in fact prevented a civil war,” Putin told 2,500 troops assembled at a televised Kremlin ceremony Tuesday. “In a difficult situation you acted clearly and coherently.”
Putin spoke after a meeting late Monday with security chiefs that included Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, his close ally who’s been the main target of Prigozhin’s attacks over the handling of the war in Ukraine.
