Moscow, June 24. The head of the Wagner Group, Evgeny Prigozhin, betrayed Russia out of personal ambition and those who betrayed will inevitably be punished. Vladimir Putin’s video message on the day of the mutiny of the powerful Russian mercenary militia is hard and cold. “Everyone who deliberately stepped on the path of betrayal, who prepared an armed rebellion, who stepped on the path of blackmail and terrorism, will inevitably be punished, they will answer both before the law and before the people,” Putin said, “And what we are dealing with is precisely treason. Exorbitant ambitions and self-interest have led to treason.” Putin insisted that “any internal unrest is a mortal threat to our state, to us as a nation. This is a blow to Russia and to our people”, and warned: “Our actions to protect the homeland from such threat will be harsh”. Putin then admitted that the situation on the ground in Rostov, where Prigozhin’s militias have taken control of the large military base from which operations against Ukraine are starting, is not easy: “Decisive measures will also be taken to stabilize the situation at Rostov-on-Don remains difficult and the work of civil and military authorities is effectively blocked,” he said.
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