Putin: "Enemy" would try to use situation If Wagner mutiny not suppressed

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247 - Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Tuesday (27) that if the mutiny initiated by the private military company (PMC) Wagner Group had not been suppressed, "the enemy" would have exploited the situation. 

During a meeting with military personnel in the Kremlin, Putin emphasized that chaos in the country would have been inevitable and "the enemy' would have taken advantage of it. He expressed hope that such a scenario would not materialize, and he was confident that it wouldn't. 

"Chaos in the country would be inevitable, and the enemy, of course, would take advantage of this ... [the enemy] is trying to do so. But nothing works. I hope it does not work out. I am even sure of it. But definitely absolutely — they would have taken advantage," Putin said during a meeting with military personnel in the Kremlin, as cited in Sputnik. 

Putin also revealed that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of Wagner Group, who led the failed mutiny on June 24, had earned over 80 billion rubles ($940 million) within a year from state military contracts. "Despite the fact that the very maintenance of [PMC] Wagner was on the state, the owner of the Concord company received and earned from the state through the military trade, he earned 80 billion rubles in a year supplying food and providing catering services to the military," Putin said.

Wagner Group occupied a Russian army headquarters in the city of Rostov-on-Don in the south on Friday (23). Prior to this, Prigozhin accused the Russian Ministry of Defense of attacking the group's military camps. The Russian Ministry of Defense rejected the accusation, while the Federal Security Service of Russia opened a criminal case against Prigozhin for organizing an armed mutiny. Prigozhin stated that the forces of the Wagner Group were heading towards the Russian capital, Moscow. 

On Saturday (24), Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko revealed that he had engaged in negotiations with Prigozhin, in accordance with an agreement reached with Putin, resulting in a de-escalation of the situation. Prigozhin subsequently confirmed that the Wagner Group would withdraw to its bases. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that the charges against Prigozhin would be dismissed and he would relocate to Belarus.

Several Russian Telegram channels, including the blog Rybar with over a million subscribers, reported that 13 Russian pilots were killed during the mutiny. According to Rybar's reports, the casualties included three Mi-8 MTPR electronic warfare helicopters and an Il-18 aircraft, along with its crew. Putin paid tribute on Monday to the pilots who lost their lives during the failed mutiny over the weekend, confirming the earlier reports of casualties. He expressed his condolences and recognition for their sacrifice.

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