Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, made his first public appearance abroad following the Wagner mercenary group’s uprising.
The chief of the Kremlin claimed that despite the Wagner rebellion, Russia is stronger than ever at the world forum with Asian friends.
“When they responded as a unified front against an attempted armed uprising, Russian political circles and the entire society clearly demonstrated their unity and high sense of responsibility for the fate of the motherland.”
Following the brief uprising led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the creator of Wagner’s mercenary company, at the end of the previous month, Putin’s focus on Russia’s unity appeared to demonstrate how eager he is to erase any question that his authority still holds sway, not just in Russia but also on the international stage.
“I want to emphasise that Russia is rebuffing pressure, sanctions, and provocations from outside sources with confidence and will do so in the future. In the current climate, our nation keeps making steady progress. The Russian people are more united than ever.”
In the meantime, Russia asserts that it stopped a drone attack by Ukraine in Moscow.
Five Ukrainian drones crashed outside of Moscow after being struck by anti-aircraft missile defence, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.
One of Moscow’s three main airports, Vnukovo International Airport, is 36 kilometres southwest of the village of Kubinka where the drones crashed.
Due to the potential threat posed by other drones flying towards this airport, which is thought to have been the objective of the Ukrainian strikes, the Russian authorities banned jet takeoffs and landings.
Russian officials reported that no injuries or property damage resulted from this incident.
Regarding this situation, Kyiv has said nothing.
The number of drone assaults on Russian soil has grown recently, with the most deadly being the attack over the Kremlin, which Moscow claimed was intended to target the Russian president.