For a capital dealing with such doubtlessly intense political convulsions, Moscow basked in a sun-drenched Sunday calm.
Red Square was closed as a precautionary anti-terror measure. A vacationer requested us plaintively why he could not stroll throughout and appeared shocked by the reference to terrorism.
Without entry to Russian telegram, and which vacationer watches state TV, it’s small surprise he had no concept what had simply transpired.
More Russia turmoil anticipated in coming weeks, US says – dwell updates
The solely different indicator of the state of issues, within the metropolis centre at the very least, have been the plain-clothes police who requested for our paperwork.
But folks did appear shaken up.
“I was so shocked, and I didn’t know what to do, I thought I should move maybe to St Petersburg or somewhere”, mentioned Irina.
She was from the city of Vidnoye, south of Moscow, and had seen a variety of navy automobiles round her home.
“This situation was so bad, and it looked like people in government didn’t know what to do.”
“I don’t want to get into politics,” mentioned one other girl, echoing a typical chorus amongst the Russian folks.
“Thank God we can walk here in the centre of Moscow and everything is fine!”
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A person who had refused to be filmed ducked over and whispered an expletive-filled tirade towards Vladimir Putin, ending with “Glory to Ukraine!”
Brave phrases in Russia right now – no surprise he was whispering.
The motion had all been elsewhere, in Rostov-on-Don within the Russian south, and in Voronezh, midway to Moscow.
Ditches dug throughout roads to attempt to cease the Wagner convoy have been shortly stuffed in. The fast disaster was swiftly defused, its bodily traces cleaned.
But what mark will these 24 hours depart on the general public consciousness and the historical past books, particularly if this isn’t Evgeny Prigozhin’s remaining act?
In 2014, the author Peter Pomerantsev dreamt up among the finest titles for his ebook on Russia – Nothing Is True And Everything Is Possible.
As I ponder the attainable permutations of what Prigozhin’s armed rebel was actually all about, that phrase retains coming again.
Source: information.sky.com”