Vladimir Putin asserts that he is confident in his ability to carry out all of his preparations for the’special military operation’ following the Wagner uprising.
After yesterday’s unprecedented events in his country, the Putin spoke to the people today and declared that his terrible war in Ukraine continues to be his top priority.
Putin, 70, said: “We feel confident, and of course, we are in a position to implement all the plans and tasks ahead of us [in Ukraine]” while speaking on Russian state television.
This also holds true for the nation’s defence, the special military operation, the economy overall, and its various sectors.
A planned meeting of Russia’s Security Council will take place next week despite this weekend’s chaos.
But Putin previously claimed the attempted coup had put Russia’s very existence at threat.
Putin’s location is not currently known after reports of both his presidential planes fleeing Moscow yesterday.
Putin was said to be ‘very afraid’ and fled his residency in Moscow after the rebellion from Wagner Group mercenaries over the weekend, the Ukrainian president said earlier today.
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s heavily-armed fighters were some 100 miles from the Russian capital when his ‘march’ intended to remove corrupt commanders he blames for botching the war was called off.
After 24 hours of chaos, neither he nor his men will face punishment, and he was sent to Belarus despite the action against the Russian army, which Putin labelled as ‘treason’.
There are a number of unanswered questions about the deal that Putin’s former ally struck to pull his for-hire troops, and about what happens next.
Volodymyr Zelensky said in his address last night: ‘The man from the Kremlin is obviously very afraid and probably hiding somewhere, not showing himself.
‘I am sure that he is no longer in Moscow. He knows what he is afraid of because he himself created this threat.’
He added: ‘The world can see that the masters of Russia control nothing.
Ukraine was also said today to be making use of the chaos that has gripped Vladimir Putin’s regime to launch a major offensive in the south and east.
As Wagner Group mercenaries marched towards Moscow, Kyiv generals were said to be weighing up how they could take advantage on the frontline.
Away from the rebellion, fierce fighting continues in Ukraine and deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said in a post on Telegram earlier today ‘there is progress in all directions’.
Despite earlier warnings not to discuss Ukraine’s military plans, she said the army launched an offensive in several locations in the east including Bakhmut, Yagidne, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bohdanivka, Klishchiivka, and Kurdyumivka.