Has rebellion weakened Putin’s grip on power?
Kremlin watcher Mikhail Zyger says June’s mutiny was when Russians realised “the emperor is naked”
The June mutiny of the Russian Wagner mercenary group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin showed President Putin could no longer control members of his inner circle, dissident writer Mikhail Zygar has told the BBC.
Mr Zygar who lives in exile in Germany since fleeing Moscow after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is known for his reporting on events within the Kremlin.
He told BBC HARDtalk that the Wagner mutiny and march on Moscow led to a loss of face for Russia’s ruler.
The events were, he said, “the moment when everyone understands that the emperor is naked”.
“For many years, (Putin) was considered to be very experienced politician who knows what he's doing,” said Mr Zygar.
“Now, it's obvious that he could not control his one-time puppet”.
The rebellion, launched on 23 June, lasted only 24 hours.
It saw Wagner troops seize a city and march towards Moscow.
Mr Prigozhin had demanded the sacking of Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov - the two most senior figures running Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
But Mr Prigozhin’s troops stopped short of the capital. A deal was brokered by Belarussian President Aleksandr Lukashenko between Mr Prigozhin and the Kremlin – which would see any charges against the Wagner chief dropped and a move to Belarus for the armed group.
