A military column of Wagner private mercenary group drives along M-4 highway, which links the capital Moscow with Russia鈥檚 southern cities, near Voronezh, Russia, June 24, 2023. REUTERS
MOSCOW/KYIV 鈥� Muscovites on Saturday expressed unease or dismissed as political theater a standoff pitting the Kremlin against Wagner mercenaries who had vowed to descend on the capital in a 鈥渕arch of justice鈥� denouncing the conduct of the war in Ukraine.
Ukrainians, on the other hand, were clearly satisfied, sometimes gleeful, at the prospect of a split in Russian ranks 16 months after the Kremlin鈥檚 troops invaded their country.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, an ally of President Vladimir Putin, had declared that a 鈥渃ounter-terrorism regime鈥� was in force, before the leader of the Wagner private militia announced that his fighters would turn back to avoid bloodshed.
Yevgeny Prigozhin had said he wanted to oust the army鈥檚 top brass and 鈥渞estore justice鈥�, while Putin had promised to crush the mutiny.
One Moscow resident who gave his name as Nikolai 鈥� declining like others to give his surname 鈥� watched the military take up positions to protect the city.
鈥淚t鈥檚 frightening of course 鈥� you sit at home thinking about what might happen,鈥� he told Reuters. 鈥淚t鈥檚 disturbing, both for you and your loved ones.鈥�
Some residents found it hard to grasp the scale of events.
鈥淚t鈥檚 really tough news, really unexpected. I鈥檝e just come back from university. I鈥檝e just done my last exam 鈥� and the news was really unexpected as I was prepping (for the exam) last night,鈥� said Vladimir, a student. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really know how to react. I haven鈥檛 really got my head around it yet.鈥�
In Kyiv鈥檚 Independence Square, packed with residents enjoying a stroll, Natalia Tanich, 48, acknowledged a certain pleasure in watching the Russian standoff.
鈥淚 enjoy what is happening in Russia. The inevitable conflict between Prigozhin and Putin was expected,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what may come out of it. But I wish for them to shoot each other and die.鈥�
In Kkarkiv, Ukraine鈥檚 second city subjected to frequent shelling since the invasion, Ivan said the confrontation was a consequence of volatile politics and the protracted conflict.
鈥淭hey started the war and now they are getting it back. The harder you compress a spring, the harder it comes back,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he situation was compressed to such an extent in Russia that it became hopeless. I consider what happened a natural event. It will influence the war but I think it will not be over in a day. We will have to endure a bit.鈥�
Post-Soviet showcase
In Moscow, under Mayor Sobyanin, the state has spent vast amounts to transform the city into an urban showcase with relatively low crime. That is a far cry from the drab Soviet era, and the 1990s when it was plagued by contract killings or, later, suffered attacks by Chechen separatists.
A woman called Galina said she thought what was happening was some kind of 鈥減rovocation鈥�.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 frighten me at all,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have confidence in our president and our people.鈥�
One man who declined to be named at all said he thought it was just politics playing out.
鈥淭hey might cancel a few events, and I make my living from events. I have an event going on now, so I could lose out because of this,鈥� he said.
鈥淏ut otherwise, it鈥檚 their business, it鈥檚 politics 鈥� let them get on with it.鈥�