Chechen leader criticizes Wagner boss, supports Putin

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has declared the uprising by Wagner leader Evgeny Prigozhin a betrayal that must be crushed to protect Russia's unity amid the conflict in Ukraine.

In a post on his Telegram channel on June 24, Mr. Kadyrov issued a harsh rebuke to Mr. Prigozhin, denouncing Mr. Wagner’s actions as a “stab in the back” and “a real mutiny,” and said that Chechen special forces (Kadyrovites) were on their way to the tense areas.

“What is happening is not an ultimatum to the Russian Defense Ministry,” Kadyrov said on his Telegram channel. “It is a challenge to the state. To meet this challenge, the army, security forces, governors and civilians must rally around the national leader. Servicemen of the Russian Defense Ministry and units of the National Guard of Chechnya (Rosgvardiya) have already left for the areas of tension. We will do everything to preserve the unity of Russia and defend its statehood!” Kadyrov said.

Mr Kadyrov said he was sure that Russian President Vladimir Putin would make decisions “in a balanced and prudent manner”.

“Each of us sees only a part of the map, but as the supreme commander of Russia, he sees everything! President Putin noted quite correctly in his address to the nation – this is a military uprising! There is no justification for such actions! I fully support every word of Putin,” Kadyrov said.

World - Chechen leader criticizes Wagner boss, supports Putin — Fighters of the Wagner group are deployed on a street near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023. Photo: CGTN

The Chechen leader called on Russian servicemen not to give in to provocations, noting that the uprising was being exploited by Moscow's foreign opponents.

“Whatever goals some may declare and whatever promises some may make – at a time like this, the security of the state and the unity of Russian society come first! Look at how our enemies in the West are exploiting this situation. How many insinuations, how many lies, how many false appeals are being used to frighten our citizens and create the risk of unrest. These are the foreseeable consequences of Prigozhin’s treacherous march,” Kadyrov said.

Earlier, on the evening of June 23, several audio recordings were posted on Mr. Prigozhin's Telegram channel, in which the tycoon Wagner claimed that his units had been attacked and blamed the country's military leadership.

In connection with these statements, the Federal Security Service (FSB) opened a criminal case on calls for armed uprising. The Russian Defense Ministry has denied allegations that it carried out attacks on Wagner's field camps in Ukraine.

The FSB's public relations center called on employees of the private military company to disobey Mr Prigozhin's orders and take measures to seek his detention .

Minh Duc (According to TASS, RT)

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