Chechen Warlord Declares Putin Loyalty, but PM and Moscow Mayor Silent

Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of Chechnya, has backed Russian President Vladimir Putin's condemnation of the rebellion by Wagner Group, although some prominent figures have not yet commented on the mercenaries reportedly taking over Rostov-on-Don.

A crisis in unfolding in Russia after Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said his troops had taken over military facilities in the southern city, which is key to Russia's war effort in Ukraine. Prigozhin has repeatedly criticized Russia's military establishment, but on Saturday directed his criticism at Putin and threatened to march on Moscow.

Without mentioning Wagner or Prigozhin by name, Putin said in a televised address on Saturday that "those who have organized an armed rebellion will be held accountable."

Former British military intelligence officer, Philip Ingram, told Newsweek that while significant politically, the situation with Wagner would not impact how the war is being fought. "It won't have an immediate impact tactically as Russian troops on the front line won't know much about what's going on and will just be focused on staying alive."

Kadyrov expressed solidarity with Putin, writing on Telegram that his fighters, who have played a key role in Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, "have already left for the zones of tension" and would "do everything to preserve the unity of Russia."

A Putin loyalist, Kadyrov has at times sided with Prigozhin's hawkish approach to the war, but has distanced himself from his recent criticism of military leaders. In the Telegram post, Kadyrov described the actions of the Wagner chief as a "vile betrayal."

"I have repeatedly warned that war is not the time to voice personal grievances and resolve disputes in our rear," he wrote. "We have a supreme commander-in-chief, elected by the people, who knows the whole situation to the smallest detail better than any strategist."

"Vladimir Vladimirovich quite rightly noted in his address to the nation, this is a military rebellion," he said. "I fully support every word of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin!" added Kadyrov, who has ruled Chechnya, a republic in southern Russia, since 2007.

The former Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, also backed Putin, writing on Telegram how "the most important thing is to defeat the external and internal enemy," adding that the way to "save our state is to rally around the President, the Supreme Commander of the country's armed forces."

However, two Russian commentators speculated on Saturday about why Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin had not yet backed Putin.

Konstantin Sonin, a Russian-born political economist at the University of Chicago, tweeted that even after several hours "the total disappearance of prime-minister Mishustin, the Moscow mayor Sobyanin, and other Putin's underlings is a bad sign for Putin."

"They fear him, but they wish him out," he added.

Russian journalist and political scientist Yevgenia Albats tweeted "there is a split at the very top as to how to resolve the Prigozhin crisis. Putin is saying all tough words, but he prefers no action. Those who do want action, the (Security Council chief Nikolai) Patrushev type, are incapable (of) making a decision."

"Those who may become actors or even benefactors like Mishustin & Sobyanin sit on fences, waiting to see who will win," she added, "it is a state of profound uncertainty."

Belarusian news outlet Nexta has reported that Mishustin's plane "has left for St. Petersburg. Several other business jets are also on their way to Russia's northern capital. In addition, the richest member of the government, Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, has already left the country."

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.