Ukrainian president Zelensky says Putin losing control of his people after Wagner mutiny

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has labelled Vladimir Putin’s response to the Wagner Group mutiny as ‘weak’, adding that the Russian president is losing control of his own people.

Zelensky, under whom the Ukrainian forces have been resisting the Russian invasion for more than a year, told CNN in an interview Putin does not control the situation in the regions as Wagner moved deep into Russia. He remarked that the ‘vertical of power’ the Russian leader had is crumbling down.

Social media was filled with videos of Russian crowd cheering the Wagner mutineers during the 24-hour long rebellion. In a video verified by CNN, the crowd cheered at Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s vehicle as it departed Rostov-on-Don on June 24.

According to Zelensky, the Ukrainian intelligence reports showed that Kremlin measured support for Prigozhin, claiming that half of the country supported the private mercenary army.

Moscow was able to avert a major embarrassment as Prigozhin called off the mutiny just hundred kilometres before the Russian capital. In a video message posted days after the rebellion, the Wagner boss clarified that the mutineers did not want to overthrow the Russian leadership.

The Wagner mutiny has raised questions on Putin’s leadership and his control over the state of affairs in Russia. On Monday, Kremlin said that all government agencies including intelligence services were working as they should.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to comment when asked why the top intelligence agency had not headed the mutiny off before it started.

Ukraine war

Zelensky’s remarks come in wake of Ukraine’s slow efforts to recapture territory occupied by the Russian forces. Recently, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) boss Bill Burns had visited Kyiv and met the Ukrainian president along with intelligence officials.

However, Zelensky maintained that his communication with the CIA chief should be behind the scenes.