Vladimir Putin thanks Russian army for stopping 'civil war'

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a televised address in Moscow, Russia, June 26, 2023. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo

(Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin thanked Russia's army and security services for stopping a civil war breaking out in the world's largest country at the weekend by acting efficiently when faced with an armed mutiny by mercenaries heading towards Moscow.

In an appearance on a square inside the Kremlin that looked designed to send a message that he remained firmly in control, Putin on Tuesday told some 2,500 members of the military, the security forces, and the National Guard that they had saved Russia from chaos.