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Mutiny in Russia

Today Russia was a scene of a mutiny by Wagner, a private mercenary group. Now the mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin says he has ordered his fighters to turn around and return to their bases.  Prigozhin said he gave the order to avoid bloodshed. He said the group had advanced to within 200 kilometers of Moscow in the last 24 hours. A deal to halt further movement of Wagner fighters across Russia in return for guarantees of safety for the militias was brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Earlier on Saturday, President Vladimir Putin had vowed anyone who has taken up arms against the army will be harshly punished. Putin said the rebellion was treason and a stab in the back. He said excessive ambitions and personal interests led to the treason, referring to Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. The mercenaries have been fighting in Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict last year. On Friday, they accused the Russian army of launching a deadly attack on Wagner’s positions in Ukraine and killing 2,000 fighters, a charge that Moscow denies. Prigozhin promised to punish military leaders. His forces then took control of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and all of its military installations.

Backing rule of law

Countries across the globe have reacted to the recent tensions in Russia between Moscow and the Wagner mercenary group. Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the Islamic Republic backs the rule of law in the Russian Federation in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. Iran’s top diplomat criticized any foreign intervention in Russia’s internal affairs. In response, Lavrov warned the west against using Wagner mutiny to achieve their plots. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his support for the Russian leadership. Russia’s neighbors are on alert with Latvia and Georgia boosting their security on their borders. Belarus has issued a statement to reaffirm Minsk’s alliance with Moscow, saying internal disputes are gift to collective west. US President Joe Biden has discussed the situation in phone call with leaders of Germany, Britain and France. 

Palestinian killed

Israeli settlers have torched two homes, belonging to Palestinians, following an anti-Israeli operation in the occupied West Bank on Saturday. Palestinians clashed with Israelis in the village of Umm Safa near Ramallah. Earlier on Saturday, Israeli troops killed yet another Palestinian after he opened fire on regime forces at Qalandiya checkpoint north of al-Quds. The 18-year-old was shot by live bullets. At least two Israelis including a soldier were reportedly injured in the shooting operation. The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Fatah Movement, took responsibility for the attack. Israel has intensified crackdown against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Al-Quds in recent months.

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