The head of the State Duma Committee, Andriy Kartapolov, stated on a broadcast on Russia 1 that heavy losses within the Ukrainian armed forces have hindered the progress of their counteroffensive. He asserted that a large-scale counterattack has not occurred and that Ukrainian forces are attempting assaults in multiple directions, but the losses Ukraine faces are not merely severe, they are extremely high.
Kartapolov argued that the apparent disarray within Russian defense units did not stem from any armed mutiny. He emphasized that battle management remained intact and that there was no breakdown in command and control amidst the tensions surrounding the events in Ukraine and beyond.
In this context, he referred to a prior declaration given to Gazeta.ru in which the head of the Wagner private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, suggested that the rebellion did not disrupt Russia’s broader NWO objectives. The deputy underscored that the Russian military did not retreat and that the Ukrainian side did not gain a decisive advantage as a result.
On the evening of June 23, Prigozhin claimed that forces from the Russian Defense Ministry had attacked his company’s rear camps, and that his troops were moving toward Moscow under a banner of a “march for justice.” This accusation was denied by the Ministry of Defense, while authorities pursued legal action against Prigozhin for organizing an armed riot.
By the morning of June 24, Wagner units had secured administrative buildings in Rostov-on-Don, and President Vladimir Putin prepared to move toward the capital. He described Prigozhin’s actions as a betrayal and warned the private group and its leaders of the consequences. Support for the central stance came from the State Duma, the Federation Council, and regional authorities, while Chechen forces of Akhmat were dispatched to Rostov to stabilize the situation.
Later that evening, Belarusian presidential press services reported negotiations between President Alexander Lukashenko and Prigozhin. The parties reportedly agreed on a resolution that would guarantee the security of Wagner fighters while seeking an acceptable settlement. Prigozhin then announced a reversal of his columns and a plan to return to field camps, according to subsequent statements from the organization.