President Putin has spoken for the first time since the Wagner mercenary group vowed to topple Russia’s military leadership.
We’ll bring you analysis of what he said shortly, but for now, here’s a video of a section of Putin’s speech, with voiceover translation.
In his address to the nation, he urged the consolidation of all forces and said what was happening was “a betrayal” and “a knife in the back of our people”. Putin also stresses that all “necessary orders have been given” to deal with the crisis, pledging to defend Russia.
And that’s the end of his short TV address – he did not mention Prigozhin once.
He did mention Wagner mercenaries, but only to praise them for fighting for Russia. The Russian president also warns of “inevitable punishment” for those dividing the Russian society.
And he says that a counter-terrorism regime is now in place in the capital Moscow and several other regions.
In his address, Putin says some Russians have been “tricked into a criminal adventure” – without specifically mentioning rebellious Wagner fighters.
BBC