A chaotic armed rebellion that posed a serious challenge to the longstanding leadership of Russian President Vladimir Putin started on Friday and seemed to come to an end by Saturday evening. The uprising, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the paramilitary Wagner Group, originated in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. A late-night statement from Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described Wagner Group's incursion into Rostov-on-Don as a “rebellion,” without explicitly mentioning Prigozhin. In a televised address, President Putin, without mentioning Prigozhin by name, condemned his actions as a “stab in the back” from a trusted ally. As part of a deal negotiated with Putin, Prigozhin would be relocated to Belarus and would not face prosecution, as per the Kremlin’s statement.

Source: ABC News June 26, 2023 19:25 UTC