Prigozhin says that he did not want to overthrow Putin, who guarantees security to mercenaries

The future of the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoiguis more uncertain than ever after the rebellion of the leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who reappeared yesterday after Saturday’s riot to assure himself that his intention was not to “overthrow a legally elected government”, but to “prevent the disappearance of Wagner”. A few hours later, in a televised message, the president Vladimir Putin He offered mercenaries who rebelled against the military leadership over the weekend to join the country’s regular army or to go to Belarus with their leader. In any case, the crisis is not yet closed, and the criminal proceedings against Prigožin are still open.

After the tense hours spent in Russia on Saturday, the former appeared again to Shojgu this Monday. The Ministry of Defense released a video showing his title inspecting some of the Russian units fighting in Ukraine. The minister has not appeared in public since Friday, at a meeting of the Security Council chaired by Putin, and remained silent throughout the weekend of Wagner’s rebellion. However, the video lacks time references, so it is not known whether it was recorded before or after the uprising.

However, experts point out that the very publication of the video aims to show that the minister, whose dismissal Prigozhin demanded in his rebellion, is still in office.

possible exchange

And that is that Putin is known for not making decisions on the fly, and the possible departure of Shoigu from the Ministry of Defense could encourage people to talk for some time. However, rumors are getting louder about the possible appointment of the governor of the Tula region soon, Alexey Dyuminas a replacement for Shoigu.

Be that as it may, the name of Diumin, a career military officer and former Putin security guard, appeared on the pages of many newspapers and social networks this Monday. Several Russian sources have come forward these days and confirmed that the pact that the Kremlin and Wagner made to abandon the advance towards Moscow is a diplomatic merit of Dyumin, and not of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who officially granted it to him.

Prigozhin, who was lost late on Saturday, when he and his men left the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, where they started the uprising, assured yesterday via Telegram that “the aim of the march was to avoid the destruction of Wagner”, whose troops, according to Shoigu’s order , ordered to disband their command structure and integrate into the ranks of the Russian armed forces before July 1, which Wagner refused. He also said, “Bring to justice those who made so many mistakes during the special military operation” in Ukraine.

The fact that the criminal proceedings against Prigozhin have not yet been overturned is evidence that the crisis is not yet closed, the Russian newspaper states. Kommersant and official agencies.

Finally, late yesterday, the Russian president also called and announced that the mercenaries, who according to him were “used”, can choose between signing a contract with the MOD on continuing the fight, laying down their weapons or going to Belarus as their leader. Putin further emphasized that “from the very beginning of everything” he himself gave “direct instructions” to “avoid great bloodshed.” “It took time and those who made a mistake had the opportunity to think twice,” he noted.