On Saturday, Russian President Vladímir Vladímirovich Putin, while referring to the mutiny of the leader of the private military group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said that any act of armed rebellion in his country is a deadly threat.
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Vladimir Putin assured that the Russian Armed Forces were ordered to neutralize those participating in the armed insurgency led by Prigozhin.
In his message to the Russian people, the President stated that they will protect their citizens and the state against all external and internal threats.
"As Russia's president and commander-in-chief, as a citizen of Russia, I will do everything in my power to defend the country, protect the constitutional order, life, security and freedom of its citizens."
Putin added that actions to protect his country from similar threats will be "forceful."
Putin also stated that his country is fighting a battle for its future and recalled that the entire military, economic and information machine of the West is directed against Russia.
"We are fighting for the life and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence, for the right to be and remain Russia, a nation with a millennial history," Putin said.
On early Saturday, Russian authorities reinforced anti-terrorist security measures in the capital and in the Moscow region, due to the mutiny of the Wagner private military group.
Moscow Mayor Serguéi Sobianin issued a statement announcing that anti-terrorist activities aimed at strengthening security measures are being carried out in the capital.
The governor of the Moscow province, Andrei Vorobyov, also reported the reinforcement of security measures in the region, as well as the activation of anti-terrorist operations, while assuring that law enforcement agencies are keeping the situation under control.
The decision to strengthen security and anti-terrorist measures comes after the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) opened criminal proceedings against the head of the private military group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, for attempting to organize an armed mutiny against the Government.
According to the statement of the Russian Prosecutor General's Office, quoted by local media, "on June 23, 2023, the Investigative Department of the Federal Security Service of Russia legally and reasonably opened a criminal case against Prigozhin under Article 279 of the Russian Criminal Code for the organization of an armed riot."
In addition, the Prosecutor's Office specified that Prigozhin's actions will be subject to an appropriate legal assessment.