Russia has avoided a civil war.

President Putin observes a minute of silence in memory of the soldiers killed in the Wagner rebellion, at the Kremlin on June 27.

“In fact, you prevented a civil war, acting precisely and unitedly,” Putin told a group of servicemen gathered at the Kremlin on June 27. They were there to receive state medals after the short-lived rebellion by Wagner, a group of mercenaries who fought alongside regular Russian forces in Ukraine.

The Russian president said the response of these servicemen, the core force in protecting Russia's security, had allowed the entire defense system and key government agencies to continue functioning during the rebellion. Mr. Putin noted that no units of the Russian military were withdrawn from the front line in Ukraine.

According to the Russian leader, if the Wagner rebellion is not quelled, opponents will take advantage of the situation. "Chaos in the country will be inevitable, and the enemies will, of course, take advantage of it," RIA Novosti news agency quoted Mr. Putin.

The leader also called for a minute of silence to remember the military pilots killed by Wagner forces in the incident. According to Mr. Putin, these officers died honorably while carrying out their duties.

The Russian president also said that Wagner (full name is Wagner Private Military Company), a paramilitary organization, has received full financial support from the Russian state, according to RIA. Specifically, Moscow has paid Wagner 86 billion rubles in the period from May 2022 to May 2023.

During the same period, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner, earned about 80 billion rubles from supplying food and catering services to the Russian army, according to Putin. "I hope that in the process of doing this, no one stole anything," RIA quoted the leader.

Referring to Ukraine's counter-offensive, Mr. Putin said Kyiv forces had lost 259 tanks and 780 armored vehicles since the start of the campaign.

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