Putin ‘breaks silence’ after Wagner coup as he insists he is ‘still confident’

Vladimir Putin has spoken publicly for the first time following the disastrous Wagner coup which saw Russia suffer its “worst daily air force losses” of the war. Talking to state media, he said he remains “confident” in his forces and plans to step up efforts in his Ukraine “special offensive”. The airing of the interview, which was recorded before Prigozhin’s mutiny, comes as Ukraine makes significant strides in its counter-offensive today, liberating an area near Donetsk which has been occupied since 2014.

 

The Russian president claimed his troops are “in a position to implement all the plans and tasks ahead of us”.

He said his optimism extended to topics ranging from Moscow’s “defence”, his “special military operation”, and the “economy as a whole and its individual areas”.

The interview was aired hours after Wagner Group reportedly killed 39 Russian pilots and crew by destroying several helicopters and a plane during the mercenary militia’s march on Moscow.

A meeting of Russia’s Security Council will take place next week.

Putin said: “We are talking about their effectiveness

“We are talking about where and what else needs to be worked on, where and what is missing.

“We are talking about how, in what ways, with what steps, and at what pace, we need to step up our efforts.

“Everything should be in harmony, so to speak, with each other.”

MORE TO FOLLOW…

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Source: Read Full Article