Russia Papers Over Cracks In Kremlin Power After Wagner Revolt

Russia tried to present a return to business as usual Monday for both the Kremlin and the Wagner mercenary army that challenged President Vladimir Putin's authority in an aborted weekend mutiny

Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jun, 2023 ) :Russia tried to present a return to business as usual Monday for both the Kremlin and the Wagner mercenary army that challenged President Vladimir Putin's authority in an aborted weekend mutiny.

Putin did not directly address the dramatic events, but made a video speech to a youth forum dubbed the "Engineers of the future" and praised companies for overcoming "severe external challenges".

Wagner headquarters in Saint Petersburg said it remained open for business, and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the private military firm would continue to operate in Mali and the Central African Republic.

Wagner's owner Yevgeny Prigozhin was branded a traitor on Saturday when he led the capture of a southern military headquarters overseeing Russia's Ukraine campaign and sent an armed column towards Moscow in a bid to overthrow the defence ministry top brass.

But, after triggering Russia's worst security crisis since Putin came to power in 1999, Prigozhin called off his fighters just over 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Moscow.

The Kremlin said he would be permitted to accept exile in Belarus and his troops would not face prosecution.