The indiscretion comes from the French daily Liberation. The leader and founder of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Evgheni Prigozhin, has been in Moscow since 1 July.
Western intelligence sources are quoted as saying that they have no certainties about the commander’s fate after the attempted mutiny at the end of June.
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Prigozhin met Putin
What is known is that he was summoned to the Kremlin where he met President Vladimir Putin. And, held talks on Group Wagner‘s future with General Viktor Zolotov, commander of the Rosgvardia National Guard and a loyalist of the head of state. As well as with Serghei Naryshkin, head of the foreign intelligence service.
After a few hours came confirmation from the Russian president. Vladimir Putin, through his spokesman Dmitri Peskov, let it be known that he met Evgheni Prigozhin in the Kremlin on 29 June.
“Yes he had such a meeting,” Peskov told the press. Thus explaining that it was attended by “all the commanders of the detachments and the company leadership, including Prigozhin himself. This meeting took place in the Kremlin on 29 June. It lasted almost three hours’.
According to Peskov, Putin at the event ‘gave an assessment of the company’s actions at the front. And, he also gave his assessment of the events of 24 June, listened to the commanders’ explanations and offered them further options for their activities’.
General Gerasimov reappears
Meanwhile, General Valery Gerasimov, Chief of Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, appeared in a video released by the Ministry of Defence. It is his first public appearance since the armed uprising of the Wagner group on 24 June.
The footage shows Gerasimov, identified by his title of Chief of Staff, during a meeting yesterday. In which he explains how the Russian Armed Forces foiled a Ukrainian missile attack against Crimea and the Rostov and Kaluga regions.
Gerasimov was reportedly removed from office by Russian President Vladimir Putin, formally retaining his position as Chief of Staff.
According to reports circulating in recent days, General Mikhail Teplinsky, commander of the air force for the past year, could take his place. Gerasimov and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had been the main targets of attacks by Wagner group leader Evgenij Prigozhin.
