By Andrew Osborn
(Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin thanked Russia’s army and security services for stopping a civil war breaking out in the world’s largest country at the weekend by acting efficiently when faced with an armed mutiny by mercenaries heading towards Moscow.
In an appearance on a square inside the Kremlin that looked designed to send a message that he remained firmly in control, Putin on Tuesday told some 2,500 members of the military, the security forces, and the National Guard that they had saved Russia from chaos.
“You have defended the constitutional order, the lives, security and freedom of our citizens. You have saved our Motherland from upheaval. In fact, you have stopped a civil war,” Putin said.
“In this difficult situation, you have acted precisely and harmoniously, you have proved by your deeds your loyalty to the Russian people and the military oath. You have shown your responsibility for the fate of our Motherland and its future.”
The Kremlin said earlier on Tuesday it did not agree with what it called the opinion of “pseudo specialists” that the mutiny had shaken Putin’s position.
It has portrayed the Russian leader, in power as either president or prime minister since 1999, as having acted judiciously to avoid what it has called “the worst case scenario” by giving time for talks to yield a deal that ended the mutiny without more bloodshed.
PILOTS KILLED BY MUTINEERS
Putin told those assembled on the Kremlin’s Cathedral Square on Tuesday that an unspecified number of Russian military pilots had been killed when trying to stop the advance of the mutineers – who wanted to oust the top military brass over what they said was their incompetence and corruption – on Moscow.
“In the confrontation with the insurgents our comrades-in-arms, the aviators died,” said Putin.
“They did not falter and carried out their orders and their military duty with honour.”
Putin then asked for a minute’s silence to honour the dead pilots.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, whose removal Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had demanded, was present on the square.
Putin said that Russia’s military-security apparatus had ensured that key command centres and strategic defence facilities had kept functioning and had been protected during the mutiny and that the security of border regions was guaranteed.
There has been no need, he said, to withdraw combat units from what he called the zone when Moscow is carrying out its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
The mutineers and the people he said had been “dragged into the rebellion” had seen that the army and the people were not on their side, said Putin.
“The rapid and accurate deployment of law enforcement units made it possible to halt the extremely dangerous development of the situation in the country and to prevent casualties among the civilian population,” he said.
After he had finished speaking the Russian national anthem, which shares the same music as the Soviet one, was played.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
