Russian Invasion|Russian Reactions

Peskov/Prigozhin. AP 

 

Russian Invasion|Russian Reactions  

Kremlin: We do not know where Prigozhin is  

 

The Kremlin does not know where Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is after the weekend uprising, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press conference, according to Reuters.  

 

Furthermore, Peskov says that he cannot give any details about what will happen to the Wagner group's recruitment center in Russia and how many of its soldiers will sign contracts with the army.  

 

On Tuesday, President Putin will address the military units, security forces and national guardsmen who helped "maintain order" over the weekend. Later in the day, he will hold meetings with media managers. 

 

Putin. Gavriil Grigorov / AP  

Putin in eulogy: You stopped civil war  

At lunchtime on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech in a square in the Kremlin, several media reports.  

A minute's silence was held there for the pilots who died when they were shot down by the Wagner convoy this weekend. 

He praised the soldiers and security forces who he claims "de facto stopped a civil war" in the country.  

- The army and the people were not on the side of the mutineers.  

National Guard chief Viktor Zolotov was the next speaker. He said the Guards will receive heavy weapons and tanks after Saturday's events, when they came close to an armed conflict with the Wagner group.

Putin confirms Wagner killed pilots this weekend  

 

On Monday, Vladimir Putin confirmed for the first time that Russian pilots were killed during the weekend's Wagner revolt, Reuters reports. 

 

- The courage and self-sacrifice of the fallen hero pilots saved Russia from tragic and devastating consequences, the Russian president said in his televised speech.  

 

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has confirmed that his soldiers fired at Russian aircraft, which he says was done reluctantly because they were attacking the convoy. 

 

There is no official information on which, or how many, craft were shot down. According to the well-read Russian military blog Rybar, it involved three Mi-8 helicopters and one Il-18 aircraft, with a total of 13 people on board.  

 

According to the Belarusian news channel Nexta, Prigozhin has agreed to pay the equivalent of SEK 6.35 million to the victims' families, writes SVT Nyheter. 

 

Wagner soldiers in Rostov. AP  

 

The Russian Invasion|The Wagner Rebellion  

The Wagner investigation is closed - hands over equipment  

 

The Russian security service FSB closes the criminal investigation into mutiny against the Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and the soldiers who took part in the weekend's uprising, writes Russian state Ifax according to Reuters. 

 

At the same time, Russia's Ministry of Defense states that the Wagner group is getting ready to hand over its heavy military equipment to the Russian army, according to state-run Ria.  

 

That claim has not been confirmed by Prigozhin, who yesterday gave his first statement since the uprising.  

 

- The goal of the march was to prevent the Wagner group from being destroyed. We did not march to overthrow Russia's leadership, he said. 

 

Prigozhin's current whereabouts are unclear, but according to several media outlets, a private jet registered to him landed in the Belarusian capital of Minsk this morning.

 

Su-27. TSgt Thomas Doscher / U.S.  

 

Department of Defense Russian air 

exercises over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday  

 

The Russian Ministry of Defense is holding flight exercises over the Baltic Sea, they said early on Tuesday according to Reuters.  

 

Fighter aircraft of the Su-27 model "fired with airborne weapons against cruise robots and pretend enemy aircraft," the ministry writes on Telegram. 

 

"The main objective of the exercise is to test the air force's ability to carry out combat operations and special missions as intended."  

 

The warplanes are on "combat readiness around the clock" to protect Kaliningrad, the ministry adds.