thanking them for preventing a civil warfrom breaking out. in a speech, mr putin insisted his rule was not weakened during saturday s rebellion by the wagner mercenaries. he suggested russia s regular military showed restraint by not being drawn into any fighting. our moscow editor steve rosenberg reports. vladimir, vladimirovich putin. at the kremlin, it was pomp with a purpose. ..to remind russians he is still in charge around here. waiting for vladimir putin 2,500 soldiers and guards, and the defence minister the wagner mutineers wanted sacked. having survived the rebellion, it was time to say thank you. translation: you defended the constitutional order, - the lives, security and the freedom of our citizens. you have saved our motherland from upheaval. in fact, you have stopped a civil war. in fact, the reality was rather different. the wagner soldiers, who had been cheered on the streets of rostov, had only stopped their rebellion after the kremlin did a deal with them