The Russian military chief who was targeted in a June rebellion has surfaced in a video
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, and Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov attend the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to the joint staff of troops involved in Russia's military operation in Ukraine, at an unknown location, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022. One possible reason for Prigozhin's mutiny, he said, was the Defense Ministry's refusal to extend a multibillion-dollar contract with his legal catering company, Concord, to supply food to the army. Credit: AP/Gavriil Grigorov
Russia's Defense Ministry released a video Monday of the country's military chief, the first time Gen. Valery Gerasimov has been shown since the leader of a mercenary army sought his dismissal during a brief rebellion.
In the video, Gerasimov is shown hearing a report from the chief of staff of Russia's aerospace forces and calling for improvement in identifying the location of Ukrainian missiles.
During last month's short-lived revolt, the head of private defense company Wagner repeatedly denounced Gerasimov, who serves as chief of the general staff of the Russian armed forces, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for denying supplies to his fighters in Ukraine.
Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his mercenaries forces entered the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on June 23 and took control of the headquarters of Russia's southern military command. Wagner forces also moved toward Moscow, encountering little resistance.
Prigozhin claimed that the uprising was not aimed at President Vladimir Putin but at removing Gerasimov and other top brass whom he claimed were mismanaging the war in Ukraine.
The rebellion ended on June 24 with a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko under which Wagner forces were to return to their bases and Prigozhin would move to Belarus.
Gerasimov had not been shown in public since the rebellion until Monday's video was released.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, speaks with Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov, left, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, after a meeting with senior military officers in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022. Russia’s rebellious mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin walked free from prosecution for his June 24 armed mutiny, and it’s still unclear if anyone will face any charges in the brief uprising against the military or for the deaths of the soldiers killed in it. Credit: AP/Mikhail Klimentyev
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