Furious Putin calls Wagner coup ‘treason’: ‘This is a stab in the back to everyone in Russia’

Russian President Vladimir Putin has given a televised address, accusing the Wagner group of a ‘stab in the back’ and saying Russia is ‘facing treason’.

Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has said he wants to oust the leadership of the Defence Ministry over its purported incompetence and has posted videos of himself in the southern Russian city of Rostov where the Russian army has one of its headquarters.

An audio message on the social media app Telegram detailed Prigozhin’s fighters had crossed the border and were “ready to die” in confrontation with those in their way.

“All of us are ready to die. All 25,000, and then another 25,000,” he said, after earlier accusing the Russian top brass of launching strikes against his men,” he said.

“We are dying for the Russian people.”

However, Putin was quick to double-down on those working outside his regime and warned of “inevitable punishment” for anyone dividing Russian society.

Putin went on to say some of his countrymen had been “tricked into a criminal adventure” without specifically referring to those under Prigozhin.

He also said “high treason” was the result of certain “ambitions” that are underway.

“This internal mutiny is a mortal blow to us,” Putin said before adding the exercise was a “stab in the back”.

“I am doing everything to repel this attack.

“Those who mutiny have betrayed Russia and I urge anybody involved in it to cease any kind of participation in armed conflict.”

Prigozhin currently claims to have more than 25,000 fighters under his command.