Russia's minister of defense visited troops in occupied areas of Ukraine, his ministry said on Monday, in what seemed to be the first public appearance by a top Russian official since the short-lived uprising led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, over the weekend.
Though the immediate threat of an armed uprising against the Russian government was defused on Saturday, major questions remain about how the episode will shape the rest of the war in Ukraine — and the presidency of Vladimir Putin.
The Wagner Group's uprising raised uncomfortable questions for some Russians about President Vladimir Putin: What did his failure to prevent the revolt mean for their security — and his staying power? Russians with ties to the Kremlin expressed relief that the uprising did not spark a civil war. But they agreed that Putin had come off looking weak.