Putin: Wagner's  Chief betrayed, rebelled his punishment will be severe

In his first comment on the armed rebellion announced by Wagner's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, yesterday night, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that the response to any rebellion would be strict, decisive and harsh.

He also considered, in a televised speech broadcast today, on the country's official channels, that these actions constitute a stab in the back, adding that Wagner's elements were drawn into an armed rebellion.

In a decisive tone, the Russian president stressed that anyone who took up arms against the army is a traitor. He said: "Our responses to these threats will be strict and harsh on those who betrayed."

In addition, he stressed that the army will defend the state and citizens against all threats, including "traitors inside," as he described it, referring to Prigozhin.

In the context, a Russian security source told Reuters on Saturday that the fighters of the private military group Wagner have taken control of all military facilities in the city of Voronezh, about 500 km south of Moscow.

The commander of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, confirmed this morning that he entered the general headquarters of the army command in the Russian city of Rostov, and took control of military sites, including an airport, according to AFP.

On Friday, the leader of the "Wagner" group called for an uprising against the leadership of the Russian army, after accusing it of killing a large number of its members in a bombing targeting their rear positions in Ukraine, an accusation denied by Moscow, demanding Yevgeny Prigozhin's fighters to arrest him on charges of "calling for an armed rebellion."

a.k

ANHA