Russia

(AP) --- Russian government troops withdrew from the streets of Moscow and people flocked to parks and cafes Sunday following a short-lived revolt by mercenary forces that weakened President Vladimir Putin and raised questions about his ability to wage war in Ukraine.

MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/: Firefighters are extinguishing fire at a fuel storage tank of an oil depot in the Voronezh Region, Regional Governor Alexander Gusev said on Saturday.

"An effort is underway in Voronezh to put out fire at a fuel storage tank of the oil depot on Dimitrov Street. Over 100 firefighters and 30 pieces of equipment are working at the scene. There are no victims, according to preliminary information," the governor wrote on his Telegram channel.

MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address on Saturday that the unfolding events were a betrayal of the country and its people and Russia would defend itself from internal treachery.

"We will defend both our people and our statehood from any threats, including internal treachery. What we have been confronted with can be precisely called treachery. The unbounded ambitions and personal interests have led to a treason and a betrayal of the country and its people," the head of state stressed.

MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/: An attempt to stir up Russian society and foment a civil war has failed, said Sergey Naryshkin, Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service and Chairman of the Russian Historical Society.

"As of now, it is clear that an attempt to stir up society, awaken its darkest impulses and foment a fratricidal civil war has failed," he said in a statement posted on the Russian Historical Society’s Telegram channel.

"The Russian people demonstrated their civic maturity and ability to distinguish the truth from lies," he added.

MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/: The armed mutiny underway in Russia is a thought-through operation organized to take over power, said Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev.

"It is obvious that this is a well-thought-out and planned operation aiming to take over power in the country," he told journalists.

MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/: The plotters' adventurist aspirations are aimed at destabilizing Russia, and this plays into the hands of its external enemies, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in connection with the current domestic political situation.

"The plotters' adventurist aspirations are essentially aimed at destabilizing the situation in Russia, destroying our unity and undermining Russia's efforts to reliably ensure international security," the Foreign Ministry said. "The mutiny plays into the hands of Russia's external enemies."

MOSCOW, June 24 (Reuters) - Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Saturday his forces were ready to help put down a mutiny by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and to use harsh methods if necessary.

Kadyrov in a statement posted on Telegram called Prigozhin's behaviour "a knife in the back" and called on Russian soldiers not to give in to any "provocations."

He said that Chechen units were moving towards the "zones of tension" and would act to "preserve Russia's units and defend its statehood".

(AP) --- A rebellious mercenary commander said Saturday he ordered his mercenaries to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, appearing to defuse a dramatically escalating crisis that represented the most significant challenge to President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power.

(AP) --- Moscow’s mayor warned Saturday that traffic could be restricted in parts of Russia’s capital as part of heightened security prompted by the rebellion of mercenaries with private military company Wagner.

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin asked the city’s residents to refrain from using their cars amid the counter-terrorism operation in Moscow and the surrounding region that authorities introduced earlier Saturday. He also declared Monday a non-working day for most people, with the exception of public servants and employees of some industrial enterprises.

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin is aware of the situation that is unfolding around Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the private military company Wagner, and the necessary measures are being taken, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

"President Putin has been briefed on all events around Prigozhin. The necessary measures are being taken," he said.