People in Moscow reacted on Saturday to the declaration by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin of an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defense minister.
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to defend the country from the armed rebellion which he called a “stab in the back” to Russia.
Prigozhin, owner of the Wagner private military contractor, confirmed Saturday morning that he and his troops reached a key Russian city after crossing the border from Ukraine.
In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, authorities declared a “counterterrorist regime” in Moscow and its surroundings, allowing restricted freedoms and enhancing security in the capital.
“What happened is happening on the territory of the Russian Federation. Some betrayal is happening. I completely support the Defence Ministry,” one Moscow resident said reacting to the announcement.
Prigozhin’s Wagner private military contractor has been fighting alongside Russian troops in Ukraine.
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