Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Dagestan’s leader Sergei Melikov to discuss the mood of the Russian people in the wake of the June 24 events and the public backing shown for national authorities. The briefing was reported by TASS, noting the backdrop of the day’s developments and the regional responses that followed. Melikov emphasized that every resident of his republic stood behind the leadership decisions taken on June 24, underscoring broad regional unity. Putin, acknowledging the sentiment, stated that he did not doubt the reaction across Dagestan or across Russia as a whole.
On the evening of June 23, Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private military company, claimed that units from the Defense Ministry had attacked rear camps associated with his group. He announced a march toward Moscow, framed as a “march for justice” by his fighters. The accusation was met with denial by the Ministry, and the Prosecutor General’s Office launched a case against Prigozhin for organizing an armed riot. These exchanges highlighted the tense high-wire dynamic between the Russian state and the Wagner leadership as the situation evolved.
By the morning of June 24, Wagner forces had secured control of several Rostov-on-Don administrative facilities and began moving toward Moscow. President Putin publicly objected to the actions, calling Prigozhin’s move a “stab in the back” and warning the leader and his subordinates of the consequences. The president’s remarks reflected the gravity of the moment and the risk of a broader crisis in the country’s security landscape as the situation unfolded.
Later that day, Belarusian presidential press service provided an update on talks between Alexander Lukashenko and Prigozhin. The parties reportedly reached an arrangement characterized as a mutually acceptable resolution that included guarantees of security for Wagner fighters. In a separate development, Prigozhin announced a reversal of his columns and ordered his fighters to return to field camps, signaling a de-escalation in the immediate conflict. The government then moved to drop charges related to the riot allegations, releasing a sense of stabilization in the crisis narrative.
Throughout the episodes, Putin addressed those who had participated in the suppression of the mutiny and reiterated the central aim of preserving state authority and public order. The sequence of events drew international attention and provoked discussions about the mechanisms of loyalty, command, and the control of private military actors within the broader security framework of the Russian Federation. The developments on June 24 and the surrounding days illustrated how leadership, regional support, and fractious private forces intersect in a high-stakes national security scenario. The public record reflects a government approach that sought to restore normative governance while managing the potential for further escalation, through both internal diplomacy and strategic messaging to the nation and its partners.