Russia prioritizing SMO-related issues, Putin says after Wagner chaos
3 Min Read
Russian President Vladimir Putin underlines that the Ukraine war is his priority in light of the developments taking place in the country.
-
Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation, in Moscow, Russia, June 24, 2023. (AP)
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, he is prioritizing resolution of issues related to the "special military operation" during his working day, the leader said Sunday after the chaos that ensued in Russia over the weekend at the hands of the Wagner group, taking the country by storm.
"Of course, it's my first priority. That's how the day begins and that's how it ends," Putin said in an interview with Rossiya 1 reporter Pavel Zarubin upon being asked how much time he devotes to the progress of the war in Ukraine.
Moreover, the Russian leader also said that he is in constant contact with military-industrial complex enterprises in order to understand what else is needed for the frontlines and how to increase efforts in this direction.
"There are conferences, meetings, and talks on the phone, discussions about the production, which is being set up, of the military-industrial complex, with the directors of enterprises, with the heads of companies, with those who use these forces and means, these technical means, these armaments," Putin said.
Furthermore, he disclosed that there are talks about the effectiveness of the armaments, among the aforementioned issues, "about where and what still needs to be improved and what is lacking. We talk about how, in what ways, at what pace, at what rate we need to increase our efforts."
These new developments are currently taking place after infighting within Russia, with Wagner PMC chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announcing on his Telegram channel that storming of the region of Rostov and taking over the military headquarters in response to what he claims was a Russian state attack on his troops earlier under the orders of the Defense Ministry.
Putin delivered a televised address to the nation in which he described the actions of the Wagner Group as an armed mutiny and treason and promised harsh measures against the insurgents.
The situation involving the Wagner Group PMC and its head Yevgeny Prigozhin in Russia will not affect the progress of Moscow's military operation in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.
Read next: Moscow warns West against taking advantage of internal situation
The Washington Post reported Sunday that US intelligence agencies learned that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group private military company (PMC), might be planning a mutiny and alerted the White House and other government agencies so they wouldn't be caught off guard.
Although the specifics of Prigozhin's plans remained unclear, one source claimed that "there were enough signals to be able to tell the leadership... that something was up."
According to unidentified sources quoted in the newspaper, the White House, top officials at the Department of State, the Pentagon, and members of Congress were informed by the intelligence agencies over the last two weeks.
Meanwhile, The New York Times said the US spy services were reluctant to declassify the material because of fear that Russia would accuse them of planning a coup. According to the investigation, they also showed "little interest" in assisting Russian authorities.
