Russian TV shows mutiny leader Prigozhin’s ‘palace’ in move to discredit him
- Russian state TV host calls Wagner mercenary group leader a ‘traitor’, shows exclusive footage of recent raids
- Wagner’s Yevgeny Prigozhin led his forces in late June in a brief rebellion against Moscow’s top military brass
Russian state TV on Wednesday night launched a fierce attack on Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of an aborted armed mercenary mutiny last month, and said an investigation was still being pursued.
Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner mercenary group, took control of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on June 24, seized the command centre there where Russia coordinates its war in Ukraine, and sent a convoy of fighters towards Moscow. He stood down after striking a deal with the Kremlin.
His mutiny posed the biggest threat to President Vladimir Putin since the Russian leader came to power more than two decades ago and forced the Kremlin to launch a damage-limitation exercise in which it has stressed the loyalty of the armed forces and the unity of society in the face of treachery.
Under the agreement that ended the mutiny, Prigozhin, whose aim had been to topple the defence minister and chief of the General Staff for alleged incompetence in prosecuting the war, was meant to relocate to neighbouring Belarus. In exchange, criminal charges against him were to be dropped.