Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that any attempt to blackmail Russia or foment unrest would fail, after an armed rebellion shook his more than two decades of rule.
“Civilian solidarity showed that any blackmail, any attempts to organise internal turmoil, is doomed to fail,” Putin said in a televised address.
He warned that fighters employed by the mercenary outfit Wagner could join the military or leave for Belarus after the group carried out an armed revolt.
“Today you have the possibility to continue serving Russia by entering into a contract with the ministry of defence or other law enforcement agencies, or to return to your family and close ones… Whoever wants to can go to Belarus,” Putin said.
He also thanked his security officials for their work during an armed rebellion in a meeting that included Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu — a main target of the mutiny.
“I gathered you to thank you for the work that was done,” Putin told the officials after a revolt by Wagner mercenaries that aimed to bring down Moscow’s top brass.
It was the first time Shoigu was seen in public since the rebellion, while Moscow’s top general Valery Gerasimov — who Wagner fighters also wanted to unseat — was not seen in footage of the meeting released by the Kremlin.