Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation on Saturday regarding the ongoing controversy regarding the Wagner private military contractor who has called for an armed rebellion.
Putin in his address reportedly said that some Russians have been, "tricked into a criminal adventure" slamming the Wagner group without mentioning their name.
The Wagner group which aimed to oust Russia's defence minister and called for an armed rebellion was termed as a "stab in the back" by Putin.
He told the media that high ambitions have led to high treason.
Putin also mentions an "inevitable punishment" aimed at the Wagner group as he reportedly said that the ones are responsible for dividing Russia.
The Russian president reportedly confirms that all orders for necessary action have been given to deal with the ongoing crisis.
In a surprising turn of events, during the address, Vladimir Putin reportedly did not mention the Wagner mercenaries and their controversy or name the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
What is happening in Russia?
Russian President Vladimir Putin was addressing the nation Saturday after mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin called for armed rebellion and reached a key Russian city with his troops. Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner private military company, has claimed that his forces had military facilities in Russia's southern city of Rostov-on-Don under their control.
“We will destroy anyone who stands in our way,” Prigozhin said in one of a series of angry video and audio recordings posted on social media beginning late Friday. “We are moving forward and will go until the end.”
Russia's security services had responded to Prigozhin's declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. It was not immediately clear how he was able to enter the southern Russian city or how many troops he had with him.
(With AP inputs)
