Putin and Prigozhin met in Moscow five days after the failed uprising

The Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Army, General Valery Gerasimov, who was unknown after the mutiny led by mercenaries of the Wagner Group, more than two weeks ago, reappeared to chair a meeting with military commanders at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don. This same military headquarters is the one that Yevgeny Prigozhin and his mercenaries managed to capture on the night of June 23-24.

It so happened that Prigozhin, despite being labeled a “traitor” by President Vladimir Putin, was received in the Kremlin on June 29, five days after the end of the coup d’état. This was stated on Monday by the spokesman of the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov, who explained that the meeting “lasted about three hours, and the leaders of the Wagner Group detachment, about 35 people in total, were present at it”, including Prigozhin, whose rebel action was is precisely the request for the dismissal of Gerasimov and Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu, who currently also holds that position.

Gerasimov’s video

In a video released by the Russian Ministry of Defense this Monday, Colonel Victor Afzalov informs Gerasimov that on Sunday, Ukrainian forces “unsuccessfully tried to attack the Kerch bridge and Morozovsk military airfield” in the region. from Rostov-on-Don. According to his report, “air defense systems destroyed two missiles [ucranianos] S-200 modified for attack missions. There were no casualties or material damage.

Judging by the video of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the meeting was attended by the Chief of the Main Operations Department of the General Staff, Sergei Rudskoi, and Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Alexei Kim. However, General Sergei Surovikin, deputy commander of the Combined Group of Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, was not present. Various information, including that published by a Moscow-based digital publication in English The Moscow Timesthey claimed in recent days that Surovikin was arrested on June 25, the day after the Wagners put down the rebellion.