Dutch Defense Ministry follows situation with Wagner mercenaries in Russia "very closely"

The Dutch Defense Ministry is monitoring the situation in Russia "very closely," Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren’s spokesperson said. However, she said it was too early for conclusions. The Wagner mercenary army has turned against the Russian army leadership and is said to be in control of the southern Russian city of Rostov.

"Disagreements between the Wagner mercenaries and the Russian army leadership are obviously bad news for Putin," Ollongren said. The war is not going the way the Russian president wants it to anyway, she stressed.

Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra is also "closely following domestic developments in Russia," he wrote on Twitter. "In addition, I am in close contact with the embassy, which is doing everything possible to get a clear picture of the situation."

Volg met veel aandacht de binnenlandse ontwikkelingen in Rusland. Daarnaast ben ik in nauw contact met de ambassade, die er alles aan doet om een duidelijk beeld te krijgen van de situatie. Via het reisadvies & de informatieservice informeren we Nederlanders die in het land zijn.

— Wopke Hoekstra (@WBHoekstra) June 24, 2023

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin reportedly wants to move to the Russian capital, Moscow. He could deploy 25,000 mercenaries.

On Friday, it was announced that Prigozhin has been charged with attempted armed insurrection. He could face 20 years in prison for that