NEW YORK, June 25. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden's administration has not recorded any changes in Russia's nuclear strategy in connection with the Wagner PMC mutiny, CNN reported, citing two US officials.
"We have not seen any changes in the disposition of Russian nuclear forces," a State Department official said. He pointed out that Washington has "no reason to adjust our conventional or nuclear force posture" as the US had "long-standing, established communication channels with Russia on nuclear issues."
Another official said that the US diplomatic presence in Russia would remain unchanged in light of current events. "Our embassy in Moscow remains open, we are in regular communication with it, and its operating posture remains the same at this time," the official told CNN.
On the evening of June 23, several audio recordings were posted on Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Telegram channel. He particularly claimed that his units had come under attack, which he blamed on the country’s military authorities. The Federal Security Service (FSB) launched a criminal probe into calls for armed mutiny. The Russian Defense Ministry slammed the allegations of a strike on the PMC Wagners "rear camps" as fake news.
Putin, in a televised address to the nation on Saturday, described the Wagner group’s actions as armed mutiny and betrayal, vowing to take tough measures against the mutineers.
Later on Saturday, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, in coordination with Putin, held talks with Prigozhin working out a de-escalation plan. Later, Prigozhin said that PMC Wagner was halting the movement of its convoys which appeared to be headed toward Moscow, turning them back and returning to field camps. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a criminal case against the Wagner chief would be dropped, while Prigozhin himself would go to Belarus. Besides, the Russian authorities pledged not to prosecute those at PMC Wagner who took part in the mutiny because of their "frontline merits.".