In initial public statements about last month’s uprising led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner group, Russia’s defense minister praised the military’s “loyalty” on Monday.
“The plans failed mainly because the military of the armed forces showed loyalty to their oath and military duty,” said Sergei Shoigu.
The defense minister, quoted by news agencies, said that the Russian army in Ukraine “continued to carry out their assigned tasks with courage and selflessness” despite the armed insurgency in Russia.
The leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was a tireless critic of Shoigu before the attempt to overthrow Russian military leaders, most notably Defense Minister and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov.
A few days after the armed uprising, state television broadcast footage of Shoigu inspecting Russian troops in Ukraine, but observers said the shooting took place before the mercenary group’s action.
Later, Russia’s defense minister appeared at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin without making a public statement.
Several senior officials have not appeared in public since the uprising, including Gerasimov and General Sergei Surovikin, fueling rumors of a possible purge of Russian forces.
Source: DN
