Italy’s FM: Myth on unity of Putin's Russia over with Wagner mutiny

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has said the attempted mutiny by the private military company Wagner has shown the weakness of Russia and the Russian authorities, and may also help Ukraine.

The attempted mutiny by the Wagnerites means that "the myth of Putin's Russia unity is over", Il Messaggero reports.

"This internal escalation divides the Russian military. This is the inevitable result when you support and fund a legion of mercenaries," he added.

"The invasion of Ukraine turned out to be a boomerang for Putin. The Russians failed to win; they failed a blitzkrieg. Now they are paying the price for the problems and contradictions of the military apparatus," said the Italian minister.

On June 24 morning, Wagner mercenaries crossed the border from their field camps in Ukraine and entered the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.

In developments that were breathlessly fast, they reportedly took over the regional military command and seized military facilities in Voronezh, another city further north, towards Moscow.

The fighters started to march toward the capital, prompting the Kremlin to introduce tighter security in many regions, including Moscow, where the mayor of the capital city had told residents to avoid travelling.

There were also warnings that thousands of elite Chechen troops were heading to Moscow to fight off the Wagner soldiers if needed.

In response, President Vladimir Putin pledged to punish those who had "betrayed" Russia.

The agreement to suddenly de-escalate the situation came on June 24 evening, after Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko held talks with Prigozhin, according to Russian TV channel Rossiya 24.

Hours later, a video emerged purportedly showing Wagner troops leaving Rostov, and their leader being driven away to the cheers and handshakes of supporters.