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Amid Wagner mutiny, Zelensky's ‘what goes around, comes around’ taunt to Putin
Wagner chief vowed to overthrow Moscow military leadership Saturday as he accused the Russian top brass of launching missile strikes against the group's forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that an armed insurrection launched by members of the Wagner mercenary group was evidence of Russia's inherent political instability.
"Russia's weakness is obvious. Full-scale weakness. And the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will have for itself later," he said in statement on social media.
"Ukraine is able to protect Europe from the spread of Russian evil and chaos," Zelensky added.
The rapidly escalating events mark the most serious challenge yet to the Kremlin chief's long rule, and Russia's most serious security crisis since the strongman came to power in late 1999.
Zelensky accused Putin of throwing "hundreds of thousands into the war, in order to eventually barricade himself in the Moscow region from those whom he himself armed."
"For a long time, Russia used propaganda to mask its weakness and the stupidity of its government," he added in the statement.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Saturday evening warned the situation in the capital was "difficult," as forces of the Wagner mercenary group moved towards Moscow to oust Russia's military leadership.
"The situation is difficult. I ask you to refrain from travelling around the city as much as possible," Sobyanin said in a statement, warning of possible road closures and announcing Monday was a "non-working" day.
The governor of the Moscow region has also suspended mass events outdoors and at educational institutions until July 1.
