“I think you see cracks appearing that weren’t there before,” Blinken told CNN on Sunday. The uprising “clearly raises new issues that Putin has to deal with.” “The fact that there is someone on the inside who is directly challenging Putin’s authority, directly challenging the premises upon which he launched this aggression against Ukraine, that in itself is very, very powerful.”
Blinken has repeatedly stressed that the uprising, which has since been declared over, is Russia’s “internal matter”. US President Joe Biden’s administration has previously been conspicuously reticent about public assessments of developments in Russia – like other governments in the West. According to US media, it was a strategy, as Putin could rig any perceived involvement. When asked if the uprising was the end of Putin’s power, Blinken said: “I don’t want to speculate on that.”
The minister also said that it could give Ukraine under attack from Russia an advantage that Putin now has to worry about what is happening at home. Referring to Russia’s status as a nuclear power, Blinken added: “Anytime a big country like Russia shows signs of instability, it’s cause for concern.”
Earlier, after the end of the armed uprising of the Wagner mercenary group, the head of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, had signaled his full concentration on the war in Ukraine. The “military special operation” has top priority, Putin said in an interview broadcast on Rossiya TV channel on Sunday. “It’s how I start and end my day,” he said. Meanwhile, military bloggers reported that at least 13 army pilots were killed in the mutiny.
In his first public statement after the end of the Wagner uprising, Putin expressed confidence that all plans and tasks related to the military operation in Ukraine would be implemented. He is in constant contact with the Ministry of Defense. As reported by the broadcaster, Putin will participate in the deliberations of the National Security Council this week. It is not yet clear whether the meeting will take place as normal on Friday or whether it will be brought forward.
Internationally, the events showed Putin’s widespread isolation. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported Sunday on the visit of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko to Beijing, but did not mention the dramatic events of the previous days in Russia, which caused an international outcry. However, the Moscow Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that China had expressed its “support” to the Russian leadership in “stabilizing the internal situation” after the events of June 24. North Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Im Chon-il openly supported Russia on Sunday. In a meeting with the Russian ambassador in Pyongyang, he expressed his conviction that “the armed uprising in Russia will be successfully ended”, state news agency KCNA reported. Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua also express solidarity with Putin.
Information on the number of fatalities varied between 13 and more than 20 military personnel, as reported on Sunday by the independent Internet portal currenttime. According to bloggers, a total of six helicopters and a reconnaissance plane were shot down by the private army of businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin. There was no confirmation of this from the Russian authorities. Military blog Rybar complained that among the downed helicopters were three Mi-8s used for electronic warfare, which are already missing from the front. In addition, a transport aircraft of the Il-18 type crashed and a command post was installed on board, all crew members died.
The armed uprising led by former Putin confidant Yevgeny Prigozhin ended Saturday night with an agreement that Prigozhin would withdraw into exile in Belarus. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Prigozhin and Wagner’s fighters would not be prosecuted. “In 24 hours we reached 200 km from Moscow,” said Prigozhin, who ordered the fighter jets back to their bases.
According to independent Russian media reports on Sunday, Wagner’s press office said they currently have no contact with Priogoshin. When questioned, the Russian-language broadcaster RTVi received the information: “He sends his regards to everyone and will answer questions when he has normal reception again.” Prigozhin was last seen on Saturday night. Videos showed him leaving the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don in a car.
According to regional authorities, the mercenaries continued their withdrawal. In Lipetsk, 400 kilometers south of Moscow, Governor Igor Artamonov announced on Sunday on the Telegram news channel that Wagner’s fighters had left his administrative area. Further south, in the Voronezh region, the withdrawal is still ongoing, Governor Alexander Gusev said. “It’s going as planned,” he wrote on Telegram. “When the situation is finally clarified, we will lift all restrictions that have been introduced.” In Voronezh, the army tried to stop the uprising with helicopter strikes. A large tank farm caught fire. According to local information, the fire could only be extinguished on Sunday night.
Wagner’s fighters, who had occupied the southern Russian city of over a million people without resistance the day before, also withdrew from Rostov-on-Don. Meanwhile, the traffic situation between Moscow and Rostov remained unsatisfactory. The Moscow area and the Tula area were affected, according to the road authority. In Rostov-on-Don, it was quiet on Sunday morning after the departure of Wagner’s troop, as reported by the Russian state news agency RIA. In his video via Telegram, a man was sweeping the street and cars were driving through the city. On Saturday, photos of Wagner’s troops in war tanks dominated the scene in various parts of the city. As Russian news agency TASS reported, Chechen special forces from the Akhmat group were also withdrawn from the Rostov region on Sunday. They were transferred there to prevent a possible advance by the mercenary group.
According to Peskov, some of the mercenaries are now being offered contracts to serve in the Russian military. According to his own statements, the Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko persuaded Prigozhin to give up his uprising. Prigozhin announced the withdrawal at night and stressed that “not a drop of the blood of our fighters” was spilled. “Now is the time when blood can be shed.” That’s why it’s time to flip the columns.