Putin was watching a festival from aboard a yacht during Prigozhin's mutiny

According to Russian journalists, on the day of the mutiny of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC), Russian President Vladimir Putin was watching the Alye Parusa festival in St Petersburg from aboard a yacht of businessman Yuriy Kovalchuk.

Source: Novaya Gazeta Europe with reference to the information of journalists Mikhail Zygar and Yulia Taratuta

Details: Mikhail Zygar, a political journalist and former editor-in-chief of the Dozhd TV channel, wrote in a column for The New York Times that Putin never misses a graduation party in his hometown, and this year was no exception, despite the situation with Yevgeny Prigozhin.

According to Zygar, on 24 June, Putin watched the Alye Parusa festival from aboard a yacht of his friend, businessman Yuriy Kovalchuk.

The journalist's sources call this the clearest evidence that the president of the Russian Federation is detached from reality.

"He still believes that he has everything under control and that Prigozhin's rebellion had no effect on the political situation. But he is wrong. [...] Many people I spoke to believe that Putin's system of government simply cannot last long", Zygar shared.

In a column for Dozhd, Taratuta reported, citing sources familiar with the situation, that a new yacht was presented to Putin on the holiday – instead of the Shaherezada, confiscated in Italy due to sanctions. According to sources, Kovalchuk personally prepared the gift.

"The yacht took three years to build, or even five – here, the versions differ. Only one thing is known for sure: it was gifted. Neither the war with Ukraine, nor Prigozhin's mutiny, nor the bombing of Rostov and Voronezh got in the way," says Taratuta.

Background: On 24 June, the day of the mutiny of Wagner Group fighters, Russian media outlet Vazhnye Istorii (Important Stories) citing FlightRadar data reported that Putin's special Il96-300PU (Control Point) aircraft departed Moscow for St Petersburg at 14:16 (Moscow time), but it disappeared from the tracking system over the Tver area.

At the same time, Ukrainian intelligence stated that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin left Moscow for his residence in Valdai. Meanwhile, Putin’s press secretary denied this and claimed that Russia’s president is "working in the Kremlin".

Background:

• On the evening of 23 June, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that the regular Russian army had launched a missile strike on the Wagner mercenaries’ rear camps. He has therefore deployed 25,000 of his mercenaries "to restore justice".

• Prigozhin claimed that his forces had taken control of military facilities in Rostov-on-Don, including the air base, and were heading "to Moscow" and that his soldiers had shot down at least three Russian helicopters. Wagner mercenaries have also seized military facilities in the Russian city of Voronezh.

• In an emergency address on 24 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia is "fighting for survival" and that attempts are being made to "organise a rebellion" in the country.

• On the afternoon of 24 June, Russian media reported that the Office of the President of the Russian Federation anticipates that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group fighters will likely reach Moscow’s outskirts in the next few hours, with fighting expected near Russia’s capital. Ukrainian intelligence has information that Putin has urgently left Moscow for his residence in Valdai. A Wagner Group convoy has been spotted 400 km from Moscow.

• On Saturday evening, after a conversation with self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin announced that his mercenaries were turning their convoys around and going back to set up field camps. Later, it was reported that the criminal case against Prigozhin is to be closed and he will "go to Belarus".

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