Moscow, June 26: Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu made his first public appearance since a mercenary uprising demanded his ouster, inspecting troops in Ukraine Monday in a video released by his ministry.
He's the first of three powerful Russian leaders whose diverging interests led to the Wagner Group occupying a Russian city and marching on the capital to be seen since the revolt ended Saturday. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin have made no public statements since then. Russia: Vladimir Putin's Police Called 'Traitor' by People in Rostov After Wagner Group Leaves City (Watch Video).
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin announced an end to the “counter-terrorism regime” imposed on the capital Saturday, during which troops with machine guns patrolled the streets and tore up roads leading into the city.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu
The Russian Ministry of Defense has released Footage that is claimed to show current Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu at a Forward-Command Center near the Frontline in the West; this Footage comes as Rumors continue to swirl that Shoigu is now being Investigated, and possibly… pic.twitter.com/xeuW3dFhG1
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 26, 2023
The Defence Ministry released a video showing Shoigu flying in a helicopter and then attending a meeting with military officers at a military headquarters in Ukraine, showing the minister for the first time since Prigozhin declared a “march of justice” to oust the defence minister late Friday, during which the mercenaries captured the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and then marched on Moscow. Vladimir Putin's Address To Russia After Wagner-Army Clashes Live Streaming: Watch Online Telecast of Russian President's Press Conference on 'Mutiny' Attempt.
The rebellion ended on Saturday when Prigozhin ordered his troops back. The Kremlin said it had made a deal that the mercenary chief will move to Belarus and receive an amnesty, along with his soldiers. The mutiny marked the biggest challenge to President Vladimir Putin in more than 20 years of rule.