Russia coup live updates — Putin regime showing ‘real cracks’ says US after Wagner coup as Ukraine makes gains

THE US secretary of state has said “real cracks are emerging” in Putin’s reign amid the Wagner Group’s recent coup attempt. Antony Blinken said: “If you put this in context 16 months ago, Putin was on the doorstep of Kyiv in Ukraine, looking to take the city in a matter of days, erase the country from the map. Now, he’s had to defend Moscow, Russia’s capital, against a mercenary of his own making. “So, I think this is clearly — we see cracks emerging. Where they go, if anywhere, when they get there, very hard to say. I don’t want to speculate on it,” Blinken told ABC News. Yevgeny Prigozhin‘s mercenary group has now turned back to their bases after agreeing to de-escalate the rebellion to “avoid bloodshed.” The Wagner group was previously on their way to Moscow after the mercenary group turned against Vladimir Putin amid claims that Russia has been targeting Wagner soldiers after the criticism of resources in Bakhmut. Since pulling back the mercenary group, leader Yevgeny Prigozhin will reportedly flee to Belarus in a deal agreed with the Kremlin. Read our Russia coup live blog below for the latest updates…