In the final news releases on Channel One and Rossiya 1, an explanation was given of Vladimir Putin's meeting with Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner PMC leadership, which took place five days after the mutiny. As the Agency noted , the conversation in the Kremlin with people whom Putin had previously publicly called "traitors" was explained by news anchors by the fact that the president always "receives first-hand information."
Here is how the host of Russia 1 Ernest Mackevicius said about the meeting:
“The meeting confirmed the consistent position of the state, its readiness to interact with everyone for whom loyalty to the motherland is a fundamental value. In addition, the conversation showed the president's desire to see the most objective picture of events possible, receiving first-hand information. It was this policy that helped the Russian leadership to cope with the rebellion, demonstrating not only strength, but also a deep understanding of events and circumstances.
And here is how the correspondent of Channel One reported about the meeting:
“The meeting with PMC commanders obviously speaks of the president’s decision not to shift responsibility to subordinates and to look into the situation personally. This is exactly what Putin always does.”
A few hours before these statements, Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed the information about the meeting between Prigozhin and Putin, which was previously reported by Western media, citing intelligence data.
In the Russian pro-war Telegram channels, the news about the meeting between Prigozhin and Putin was widely criticized:
And here is how Putin commented on Prigozhin’s actions when the rebellion had just begun:
“This is a blow to Russia, to our people. And our actions to protect the Fatherland from such a threat will be tough. All those who deliberately embarked on the path of betrayal, who prepared an armed rebellion, embarked on the path of blackmail and terrorist methods, will suffer inevitable punishment, will answer both before the law and before our people. The one who organized and prepared the military rebellion, who raised arms against his comrades-in-arms, betrayed Russia. And they will answer for it."
During the mutiny, PMC fighters shot down 1 plane and 6 helicopters of the Russian army, officially the number of deaths was not reported, according to media reports, we are talking about at least 13 soldiers.
After Prigozhin abandoned plans to seize Moscow and agreed to “go to Belarus,” Putin said that the Wagner PMC was fully supported by the state. According to him, for the year alone, from May last year to May this year, the PMC received 86 billion rubles from the budget for salaries and incentive payments for fighters.