Putin Praises Soldiers for Suppressing Rebellion: "You Prevented the Outbreak of Civil War"

Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the military for suppressing the armed rebellion by the mercenary company Wagner Group on the 27th (local time).

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to TASS news agency, President Putin delivered a speech to about 2,500 security forces and National Guard soldiers in the Kremlin square, saying, "You have protected the constitutional order and the lives, safety, and freedom of citizens," and "You saved the motherland from upheaval and effectively prevented a civil war."

He also explained that there was no need to dispatch combat units from the Ukrainian front to suppress this rebellion.

Regarding the pilots who died during the suppression of the rebellion, President Putin stated, "Our comrades have fallen. They fulfilled their orders and duties honorably and unwaveringly," and observed a one-minute moment of silence for them.

Furthermore, he repeatedly asserted that the rebellion did not gain public support. President Putin emphasized, "The people and the military stood together against the rebellion. The rebellion never gained the support of the people and the military," highlighting that neither the public nor the military sided with the Wagner Group, which initiated the armed rebellion.

This is the first time he has appeared publicly since the rebellion. President Putin is also scheduled to meet with some military officers and hold a private meeting with media representatives in the evening.

Following his nationwide address the previous day, President Putin has mentioned the rebellion for two consecutive days, striving to quell internal unrest within Russia.

Meanwhile, at the speech venue, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, whom Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin demanded to be punished, was also seen. Minister Shoigu demonstrated his presence by visiting Russian military units deployed on the battlefield the previous day and attending a meeting presided over by President Putin in the evening.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.