Mutiny in Russia aiming to take over power - Medvedev

Medvedev

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.

"The unfolding of current events shows that the actions by the individuals who organized the armed mutiny completely fits in with the plan of a very well-thought-out and organized coup d’etat," Medvedev stressed. "Given the high degree of the plan’s preparedness, the professional coordination of actions, the quality management of troop movements, it is possible to speak of a thought-out military plan and the participation in the mutiny of the individuals who earlier served in the elite units of the Russian Armed Forces or, quite possibly, of foreign specialists as well," he suggested.

Medvedev stressed that this is precisely why "speculations over offenses suffered in the past, the Defense Ministry’s failure to fulfill certain obligations, some 'strikes' against rear locations, and officials’ corruption do not hold water. This is nonsense."

He separately mentioned the potential adverse consequences of the mutiny. "We are well aware of the consequences of a coup d’etat in the largest nuclear power. In the history of human race there has never been a situation where the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons was controlled by bandits. Such a crisis will obviously not be limited to a single country. The world will be brought to the brink of annihilation," Medvedev cautioned.

"We will not allow events to follow such a scenario. No matter how strongly crazy criminals and their followers might wish to see it materialize," the Security Council deputy chairman concluded.