This Photo Does Not Feature Putin in Moscow After the Wagner Rebellion
The Claim
A photo features the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow after the Wagner group rebellion.
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Following the Wagner group's rebellion against the Russian government, social media users circulated a photo of the Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
In the photo, the Russian president is featured riding a horse.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the photo and found the claim to be misleading.
Upon conducting a reverse image search, Misbar’s team found the photo making the rounds to be outdated.
Putin’s Photo Riding a Horse Dates Back to 2019
Contrary to social media users' claims, the photo in question was not taken during Vladimir Putin's visit to Moscow after his triumph over the Wagner group.
The circulating photo dates back to March 7, 2019. It was taken during the president's visit to the Moscow Police’s 1st Operational Regiment.
The photo was published by the official Twitter account of the President of Russia on the same day. The caption states that the President visited the regiment at the invitation of women mounted and tourist police officers, in anticipation of March 8.
President Putin’s Visit to the Moscow Police 1st Operational Regiment
On March 7, prior to International Women's Day, President Vladimir Putin was invited by female officers from the mounted and tourist police to visit the First Operational Police Regiment of the Russian Interior Ministry's Main Department in Moscow.
During the visit, the President had the opportunity to meet with female officers from the regiment and observe their operations, including the special responsibilities of the mounted and tourist patrols.
The First Operational Police Regiment consists of two battalions of mounted police and a battalion dedicated to tourist policing.
Did Putin Flee Moscow During the Wagner Rebellion?
Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Vladimir Putin of fleeing from Moscow during the Wagner rebellion.
The claim gained widespread attention when one of the several planes used by the Russian president for official visits departed from Moscow at 2:15 p.m. local time, as recorded by Flight Radar, a real-time aircraft tracking service. However, less than 30 minutes later, the aircraft disappeared from radar approximately 150 kilometers away from Putin's official residence.
The Kremlin has refuted claims alleging that Vladimir Putin fled Moscow by plane, following allegations of treason from members of the Wagner group.
Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesperson, stated to the Russian state news agency that Putin is indeed working at the Kremlin.
Wagner Leader Halted the March on Moscow
After Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Russian army of attacking the Wagner group encampments in Ukrainian territory, the Wagner group rebelled against the Russian government on June 24. Prigozhin claimed that these assaults resulted in the deaths of numerous fighters.
Later in the day, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, made the decision to halt their advance on Moscow, potentially averting an immediate civil war in Russia. Prigozhin declared that he would issue orders for his Wagner fighters to cease their march and return to their bases in southern Russia.
Prigozhin expressed his intention to prevent any loss of Russian lives and instead directed his troops to retreat back to their bases.
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