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Did the Wagner mutiny weaken Vladimir Putin?

The Wagner Group’s rebellion may have been cut short but could it have revealed cracks in Putin’s hold on power?
A man in a suit is shown at a podium outdoors as two men in ceremonial dress stand at attention behind him.
Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses members of Russian military units, the National Guard and security services to pay honour to armed forces, that upheld order during recent mutiny, in Cathedral Square at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, June 27, 2023. Sputnik/Sergei Guneev/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. (Sergei Guneev/Sputnik/Reuters)

After Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group's rebellious march towards Moscow was cut short over a week ago, questions have been swirling about how it could happen and what it reveals about Russia's stability right now.

The Kremlin and Vladimir Putin have been working in overdrive to project an image of calm and control. But behind the scenes, a top general is missing and the military is facing Ukraine's counteroffensive without Wagner's crucial support. 

Is Putin losing his grip on power? Could what happened with The Wagner Group and its leader Prigozhin end up costing Russia the war? The Financial Times' Polina Ivanova joins us to discuss the aftermath of the mutiny and what could happen next.