Putin’s defense chief breaks silence on Wagner revolt

Vladimir Putin’s defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, commended the “loyalty” of Russia’s armed forces in his first known public remarks on the Wagner Group uprising that sought his ouster.

“This [was] an attempt to destabilize the situation in Russia on June 23-25,” Shoigu told military leadership on a conference call, according to a translation from Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

“These plans failed primarily because the personnel of the armed forces showed loyalty to the oath and military duty.”

The 68-year-old also downplayed the ramifications of the rebellion on Russia’s war efforts in Ukraine before voicing gratitude to Moscow’s military “for their conscientious service.”

Shoigu repeatedly drew the ire of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who accused the defense chief of incompetence and failing to support the mercenary force before directing his men to march toward Moscow late last month.

The final straw for Prigozhin, once Putin’s personal caterer, appeared to be plans to fold the Wagner Group into the regular military. On the eve of Wagner’s march toward Moscow, Prigozhin also leveled unconfirmed allegations that his forces were struck by the Russian military.

On June 24, Wagner forces briefly occupied the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don before marching within 120 miles of Moscow.

Ultimately, Prigozhin backed down and headed to apparent exile in Belarus as part of a deal brokered by that country’s authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko.

Ukrainians seized on the aborted mutiny as a boost for their ongoing counteroffensive. The Kyiv government claims to have clinched incremental territorial gains since the offensive began last month.

“We see Putin’s reaction. It’s weak,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN over the weekend.

“Firstly, we see he doesn’t control everything. Wagner is moving deep into Russia and taking certain regions shows how easy it is to do. Putin doesn’t control the situation in the region.”