The Russian president Vladimir Putin works in the Kremlin, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov assured, according to the Russian news agency RIA.

“The president works in the Kremlin,” Peskov stressed, denying rumors circulating on social media that the Russian president had left Moscow because of the Wagner mutiny.

In his speech earlier today, Putin emphasized that the armed forces of his country are fighting for the life and safety of the Russian people.

The Russian president informed his Belarusian counterpart earlier Alexander Lukashenko about the “situation in Russia”, i.e. the mutiny of Prigozhin’s Wagner organization, according to a message posted on the official Telegram account of the Belarusian presidency.

“The Russian president called the Belarusian president in the morning” to inform him “about the situation in Russia,” Belarusian news agency Belta reported at the same time, citing Lukashenko’s press service.

It is the first contact with a foreign leader that Putin has had since yesterday, Friday night, when the mutiny of Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary organization, which rebelled against the Russian military hierarchy, began.

The Russian president called it an “armed rebellion” in his speech to the Russian people and vowed to crush it.

Without specifically mentioning the head of Wagner, in his taped speech, Putin spoke of an “attempt to overthrow the regime from within” and that the lofty “ambitions” of some have led to “ultimate betrayal”.

BREAKING: In a recorded address, Vladimir Putin says the Wagner group rebellion is a ‘criminal adventuristic campaign’ and “equivalent to armed mutiny”.

He says: “It is an attempt to subvert us from within. This is treason.”

Latest: https://t.co/X3flQUBL0r

📺 Sky 501 pic.twitter.com/iaIgz7YASc

— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 24, 2023

The Russian president said Russia’s future was at stake, describing the rebels’ actions as “backstab”.

He promised that “as the Russian president and commander-in-chief I will do everything possible to defend my country,” and stressed that “those who organized the armed uprising will be held accountable.”

Prigozhin’s Wagner insurgency is a “mortal threat” to the Russian state, the Russian president warned, stressing that the country’s armed forces are fighting for the lives and safety of the Russian people.

At the same time, he insisted that he “will not allow” a “civil war” to break out in Russia and insisted that there is a need for “unity” of forces and for differences to be put aside.

He described the situation in Rostov as “difficult” and said decisive action would be taken to stabilize it.

Putin even addressed the organization’s fighters, Russian military and civilians who sided with Prigozhin: “Those of you who have been drawn into this, I call on you to stop your criminal actions,” he said.