June 25th 2023.
Volodymyr Zelensky had some harsh words for Russian President Vladimir Putin in his address last night, mocking him for the "chaos" across the border. According to the Ukrainian President, Putin is "very afraid" and has fled his residency in Moscow.
This follows the rebellion from Wagner Group mercenaries, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin. His heavily-armed fighters were some 100 miles from the Russian capital, and were marching with the intention of removing corrupt commanders blamed for botching the war.
Despite the action against the Russian army, which Putin labelled as "treason", neither Prigozhin nor his men will face any punishment. It has been revealed that a deal was struck to pull his for-hire troops, but the details of this agreement remain unknown.
What is clear though, is that the Russian leader's picture of authority has been weakened. Zelensky said that the Kremlin is now in "complete chaos" and that it is easy to capture Russian cities and arsenals, as the Wagner Group's retreat from the southern city of Rostov has shown.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the criminal case opened against Prigozhin for armed mutiny would be dropped, and that the Wagner fighters would face no action in recognition of their previous service to Russia. This was brokered by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, with Putin's approval, due to his personal relationship with Prigozhin of around 20 years.
Zelensky warned the situation in Moscow will only become "more dangerous", and that another similar advance from Putin's enemies is likely to come. It seems the events of the day will have a lasting effect on the Russian leader's authority.
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