Putin vows to punish the leaders behind Russia's armed rebellion | DW News

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked commanders and soldiers from the Wagner Group private military company during an address to the nation Monday. He thanked Russians for their "endurance, unity and patriotism," adding that most of Wagner's forces were "patriots." However, he warned that any attempt of blackmail or unrest in Russia was "doomed to fail. From the start of the events, on my order steps were taken to avoid large-scale bloodshed," the Russian leader said.

"It was precisely this fratricide that Russia's enemies wanted: both the neo-Nazis in Kyiv and their Western patrons, and all sorts of national traitors," Putin said. The Russian leader has often falsely labeled the Ukrainian government of being overrun by Nazis, despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy being Jewish. "They wanted Russian soldiers to kill each other," Putin added in his address.

Wagner troops can return to their families or go to Belarus

Putin gave the Wagner forces involved in the push towards Moscow late last week the options of joining the military, relocating to Belarus, or simply returning to their families. "I thank those soldiers and commanders of the Wagner group who did not go to the fratricidal war, they stopped at the line," Putin said. "You will be able to conclude a contract with the Russian Federation Ministry of Defense, return to your families or go to Belarus. I will keep my word," he said.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko was also expected to make a statement later on Monday, a source close to him said, in which he would "answer everything, very soon." Putin's address to the nation was brief, as he went into a meeting with defense and security officials following the speech. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news outlets that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov, and National Guard head Viktor Zolotov were at the meeting.

For more news go to

Follow DW on social media:

Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie

#Putin #Russia #wagnergroup