As members of Russia’s Wagner mercenary group headed back to their bases and withdrew from the Russian city of Rostov on Sunday, one U.S. official said that it shows “cracks” in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s power amid a drawn out invasion of Ukraine that appears to be taking its toll on Russia.
“We see cracks emerging,” he said. “Where they go, if anywhere, when they get there, very hard to say. I don’t want to speculate on it.”
Blinken added that he doesn’t believe officials have “seen the final act” after the Wagner mercenary group started moving toward Moscow during an armed revolt. Last week, the group’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that he would head to Moscow in a “march for justice” in support of what he said were neglected Russian forces in Ukraine.
“So much that is beneath the surface has now surfaced again in terms of questioning the premise for the war, in terms of questioning the conduct of the war, in terms of questioning what good this has actually done for Russia,” Blinken told ABC News’ “This Week.”
Putin has not made public comments since the deal was struck to de-escalate the crisis. State television released excerpts on Sunday of an interview in which Putin said he was giving top priority to the conflict in Ukraine and was in constant contact with the Defense Ministry.
However the interview appeared to have been recorded before the mutiny and he made no reference to Saturday’s events. State television also said Putin would attend a meeting of Russia’s Security Council this coming week, without elaborating.
Prigozhin, 62, was seen leaving the district military headquarters in Rostov, hundreds of miles south of Moscow, overnight in a sport utility vehicle, reported Reuters. His whereabouts on Sunday were not immediately clear.
Reuters said it was able to verify the location of the video but not the date that it was filmed. “Take care of yourselves,” one woman told them.
After capturing Rostov—the main rear logistical hub for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—the mercenaries had raced hundreds of miles north, transporting tanks and armored trucks and smashing through barricades set up to stop them. That came before a deal to withdraw was reached.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Italian newspaper Il Messaggero on Sunday that the Russian government created the conditions for Saturday’s insurrection by allowing Prigozhin to build up such a formidable private army.
“The myth of the unity of Putin’s Russia is over. This internal escalation divides the Russian military deployment. It’s the inevitable outcome when you support and finance a legion of mercenaries,” Tajani said. “One thing is certain: the Russian front is weaker than yesterday. I hope that peace will now be closer.”
