Wagner mutiny shows Russia’s “big strategic mistake” in attacking Ukraine – NATO chief

Moscow made a strategic mistake by starting a war against Ukraine, which the mutiny of the Wagner mercenary group in Russia demonstrates, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday.

"The events over the weekend are an internal Russian matter and yet another demonstration of the big strategic mistake that President (Vladimir) Putin made with his illegal annexation of Crimea and the war against Ukraine," he told reporters during a visit to the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, Reuters reports.

He added that since Russia continues its war in Ukraine, it is even more critical to continue supporting Kyiv. NATO said over the weekend that the bloc is closely monitoring the situation and is in constant contact with the ambassador in Moscow, as well as continuing internal consultations with member states. It characterized the mutiny as an "internal Russian issue."

Background

On June 23, Wagner mercenary group chief Prigozhin stated that the Russian army had attacked Wagner's rear positions, causing "a huge number of soldiers" to die. In response, he announced a "campaign" to Rostov-on-Don to "deal with lawlessness in the army" and Russian defense minister Shoigu.

On June 24, Prigozhin's mercenaries seized military facilities in Rostov, including the headquarters of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation and an airfield, and took control of military facilities in Voronezh. The Wagner column was also in the Lipetsk oblast. The Russian authorities were already preparing for the siege of Moscow.

In the end, on the evening of June 24, the self-proclaimed president of Belarus, Aleksander Lukashenko, said that the owner of the Wagner company, in a conversation with Lukashenko, had agreed to stop the movement of mercenaries on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Later, Prigozhin confirmed that his mercenaries were turning their columns and going in the opposite direction. According to him, the mercenaries "passed 200 km before reaching Moscow" in a day. He did not mention the conversation with Lukashenko.

The Kremlin announced that the criminal case against Yevgeny Prigozhin would be dropped, he would "go to Belarus," and the authorities would not prosecute the "Wagners" for attempted sedition. The guarantee that Prigozhin will be able to go to Belarus "is the word of the President of Russia."