Shoigu Comments on the Attempted Military Uprising in Russia for the First Time

During a briefing, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu commented on the attempted uprising by the Wagner private military company. Speaking about the attempt to destabilize the situation in Russia from June 23-25, he stated that the plans of the insurgents had failed because the armed forces personnel demonstrated loyalty to their oath and military duty.

This is the first time the defense minister, whose resignation was one of the demands from Wagner during their "March for Justice" to Moscow, has addressed these events.

“The provocation did not affect the actions of the troop formations. The soldiers bravely and selflessly continued to address the tasks set before them. I thank the personnel for their conscientious service,” the minister said.

It is notable that on June 24, the forces of the Wagner private military company seized the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don. This occurred amid Yevgeny Prigozhin's announcement that the Russian Armed Forces had launched missile strikes on Wagner's camps, which was denied by both the Ministry of Defense and the FSB. A criminal case was opened against Prigozhin for organizing an armed rebellion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin characterized the actions of the insurgents as a “criminal adventure,” a “strike from behind,” and “treason.”