Russia's war in Ukraine and fallout from Wagner insurrection
Russian President Vladimir Putin kisses a participant of a meeting in a street in Derbent in the southern region of Dagestan, Russia, on June 28. Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have changed tactic.
For the past three years, the Russian leader was rarely seen in public. He stayed in near complete seclusion during the pandemic. When he did appear, he was usually seen sitting at a huge desk, far away from anyone around.
But after facing the biggest ever challenge to his authority over the weekend, Putin is back in the public eye.
The Kremlin is now going to great lengths to reassert Putin’s authority, with meetings and public events designed to show the unity and solidarity of the state and the military under his leadership.
Putin made several appearances in public since the extraordinary events of last weekend, including a trip to the Dagestan on Wednesday.
The Russian leader was met by excited supporters in the streets of the city of Derbent, according to video posted by the Kremlin, just days after a short-lived insurrection led by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
“There is no person in Dagestan who would not support the decisions of the leadership of the Russian Federation, which were adopted on June 24 this year," Dagestan's President Sergey Melikov said at a working meeting with Putin during his visit, according to a statement.
“I had no doubts about the reactions in Dagestan and throughout the country,” Putin replied.
A video released by the Kremlin on Monday showed Putin addressing an audience of the International Youth Industrial Forum, which was holding a meeting in Tula. The speech -- which did not address the mutiny at all -- was Putin's first appearance after Prigozhin turned his troops on Saturday.
The Kremlin did not mention when or where the video was shot.
Putin was also seen addressing security forces at the Kremlin, praising those agencies that were involved in suppressing the rebellion.
“In a difficult situation, you acted clearly, in a well-coordinated manner, by deed you proved your loyalty to the people of Russia and to the military oath, you showed responsibility for the fate of the Motherland and its future," he told units on Tuesday.
Source: CNN
