Russian defense minister visits troops after Wagner mutiny
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Deputy Defense Minister Nikolay Pankov attend a Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting with graduates of the country’s military higher education institutions at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on June 21, 2023. Sputnik/Yegor Aleev/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu visited Russian troops involved in the military operation in Ukraine, the RIA news agency reported Monday, his first public appearance since the weekend mutiny by the Wagner paramilitary group.
RIA’s report, which cited Russia’s defense ministry, made it clear Shoigu remained in charge but provided no details on when and where he met the troops and commanders of the Western military district.
Mutineers led by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin advanced on Moscow to remove what they called Russia’s corrupt and incompetent military leadership before suddenly heading back to a Russia-held area of eastern Ukraine after a deal with the Kremlin brokered by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
READ: Explainer: Who is Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin?
The deal included immunity for the mutineers in exchange for their return to camps, but it remains unclear whether Putin also agreed to reshuffle the top military leadership or make any other concessions.
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