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https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-07-05-23/h_ee2a25bcd24037c9ab9950130f203285
Zelensky to CNN: "Half of Russia supported Prigozhin" in Wagner uprising
Exclusive from CNN's Erin Burnett, Yon Pomrenze, Mick Krever and Victoria Butenko in Odesa, Ukraine
In an exclusive interview with CNN, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country's intelligence showed the Kremlin was measuring support for Yevgeny Prigozhin — head of the Wagner paramilitary group, which led a short-lived insurrection last month — and claimed half of Russia had supported the mutiny.
The insurrection saw Wagner fighters, led by Prigozhin, seize control of military facilities in two Russian cities and march toward Moscow before a secretive deal with the Kremlin abruptly ended the rebellion. Prigozhin pulled back his forces, and has since been exiled to Belarus.
The incident has been widely framed by Western analysts as a threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin's veneer of total control, with speculation about what this could mean for the war as Ukraine continues its slow counteroffensive.
"Half of Russia supported Prigozhin. Half of Russia supported Putin," Zelensky told CNN. "Some of the Russian regions were balancing in the meantime without knowing for sure who to support."
"We all see this process that shows half of the Russian population is in serious doubt," he added.
Though Russian public support for the war remains high, this crack was illustrated at the end of the insurrection, when Prigozhin and his Wagner fighters prepared to depart the city of Rostov-on-Don.
A video verified and geolocated by CNN showed Prigozhin’s vehicle stopping as a resident approached to shake the Wagner boss’ hand; around them, residents cheered.
Watch moment:
Editor's Note: Erin Burnett’s full interview with Volodymyr Zelensky airs Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.
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