Russian military head praises army ‘loyalty’ during mutiny

Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister, lauded his army’s “loyalty” on Monday in response to an armed insurrection by the Wagner military group last month that targeted the nation’s senior military leadership.

Russian military head praises army: In his first public remarks since the uprising, he stated that “the plans primarily failed because the personnel of the Armed Forces showed loyalty to their oath and military duty.”

Additionally, he claimed that Russian military soldiers working in Ukraine have “courageously and selflessly continued to solve the tasks assigned to them,” according to the quotes reported by news media.

Before Shoigu attempted to remove the defence minister and chief of staff Valery Gerasimov, the leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was a fervent opponent of the Russian president.

After the armed uprising in late last month, state media aired footage of Shoigu’s visit to Russian forces in Ukraine, which analysts claimed occurred before the uprising.

Later, he made an appearance in a meeting with Vladimir Putin without uttering a word in public.

Gerasimov and general Sergei Surovikin are among the senior authorities who have not made an appearance in public since the uprising, which has fueled suspicions about their potential removal.