Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday told gathered troops at the Kremlin that they had prevented a civil war after a revolt by Wagner mercenaries, and held a minute of silence for pilots killed in clashes during the insurrection.
“You de facto stopped civil war,” Putin told troops from the defence ministry, National Guard, FSB security service and interior ministry.
“In the confrontation with rebels, our comrades-in-arms, pilots, were killed. They did not flinch and honourably fulfilled their orders and their military duty,” Putin said before holding a minute of silence in their memory, without saying how many died.
