Putin Vows To Crush Coup Attempt As Chaos Unfolds In Russia

Things are coming apart at the seams in Russia as President Vladimir Putin vows to crush a rebellion against his regime.

Chaos is unfolding in Russia after Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin publicly called for action against the dictatorship and alleged Putin's forces bombed his men. Wagner is viewed as the tip of the spear in Ukraine and has undertaken brutal fighting on behalf of the Putin regime.

However, Prigozhin appears to have turned on his old master and all bets are now off. While he claims his actions aren't a coup, the Wagner chief stated "the country’s military leadership must be stopped."

Members of Wagner group patrol in an area near a tank outside a circus building in the city of Rostov-on-Don, on June 24, 2023. President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation amid a potential coup being carried out by Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP) (Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

Putin addresses the Russian people amid chaos and a rebellion.

Security forces were escalated across Russia and in Moscow in anticipation of an armed clash with Wagner forces. Now, Putin made it clear he plans on using his full force to obliterate any resistance his regime faces.

"It is a blow to Russia, to our people. And our actions to defend the Fatherland against such a threat will be harsh," the Russian dictator said Saturday while addressing the nation, according to Fox News. Putin described Prigozhin's actions as "a deadly threat to our statehood."

"All those who deliberately stepped on the path of betrayal, who prepared an armed insurrection, who took the path of blackmail and terrorist methods, will suffer inevitable punishment, will answer both to the law and to our people. The armed forces and other government agencies have received the necessary orders," Putin further claimed in an address to the Russian people.

Armored vehicles and fighters of Wagner on streets after the Wagner paramilitary group has taken control of the headquarters of Russia's southern military district in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on June 24, 2023. (Photo by Arkady Budnitsky/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The future of Russia hangs in the balance as a potential coup unfolds.

It still remains incredibly murky what's going on in Russia. It's not known right now how much direct contact there has been between Wagner forces and Putin's military.

Videos and reports circulating social media claim multiple aircraft have been brought down. Those reports remained unconfirmed as the situation remains unbelievably chaotic and fluid.

We can't stress enough the U.S. government has not confirmed much of this news, and doing so might be borderline impossible at the moment.

What is known is this seems to be the largest crisis within Russia since the early 1990s when there were two similar situations where leadership was tested.

The Wagner Group has thousands of heavily-armed men and armor. The military's headquarters in Rostov-on-Don appear to have also already fallen to Wagner fighters.

Unfortunately, this isn't a Tom Clancy novel. It's real life, and a nuclear power being plunged into chaos amid a potential coup is very bad news for the world at-large. Russia is facing its biggest internal crisis in decades against a highly-motivated and heavily-armed foe. How this ends is anyone's best guess. What is clear is it's likely going to get much more serious before it gets resolved. Let's hope nobody gets an itchy finger when it comes to hitting the big red button.