Russia’s military and law enforcement agencies took crucial streps to protect the people's safety at the time of an attempted armed insurgency and effectively saved the country from civil war, Russian President Vladimir Putin told soldiers and other law enforcement personnel who played a key role in recent events.
"You have protected the constitutional order, the lives, the security and freedom of our citizens. You saved our homeland from turmoil, and actually stopped civil war. In a dramatic situation you acted clearly and coherently, proved your loyalty to the people of Russia and the military oath and displayed responsibility for the fate of the Motherland and its future," Putin said.
In the historic Cathedral Square of Moscow’s Kremlin, he stressed, there have gathered servicemen of Russia’s Armed Forces, Rosgvardiya, the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Interior Ministry, the Federal Guard Service, soldiers and officers, "real defenders of the Fatherland, who, at a difficult moment for the country, together with their comrades-in-arms stood in the way of disorder, which would have inevitably led to chaos."
The president drew attention to the fact these units of the Defense Ministry, the Russian national guard Rosgvardiya, and officers of the Interior Ministry and special services "ensured the reliable operation of the most important control centers, strategic facilities, including defense facilities, the security of border regions, the strength of the rear of the armed forces and all combat units, which continued to fight heroically at the frontline."
"We did not have to relocate combat units from the special operation zone," Putin stressed.
The pilots killed during the June 24 mutiny performed their duty with honor, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday, calling for a moment of silence to pay tribute to them.
"Our comrades in arms died. They did not waver and fulfilled the order and their military duty with honor. I ask you to honor their memory with a minute’s silence," the president said, addressing the military who stopped the insurgency.
On the evening of June 23, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the PMC Wagner, said on his Telegram channel that his units had been attacked, and accused the military leadership of Russia of doing so. The Defense Ministry dismissed these allegations as false. PMC Wagner units who agreed to support Prigozhin headed for Rostov-on-Don and towards Moscow. The FSB opened a case over the call for armed mutiny. Russian President Vladimir Putin in a televised address described the PMC Wagner’s actions as treason.
Later, by agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko held talks with Prigozhin. The PMC Wagner’s convoys turned back and returned to their field camps. On Tuesday, the FSB’s public relations center said the criminal case had been dropped.
