Turkish foreign minister, US counterpart discuss developments in Russia over the phone

By Mehmet Sah Yilmaz

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a phone call on Saturday addressed the recent developments in Russia.

During the call, Fidan and Blinken also discussed regional issues, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

- Kremlin-Wagner tensions

Prigozhin has repeatedly accused Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and Valery Gerasimov, the commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, of "incompetence" and deliberately undersupplying Wagner units fighting in Ukraine.

On June 10, Shoygu signed a decree under which all units not under the Defense Ministry's orders must sign military service contracts with it by the end of the month. This move was seen as an attempt by the government to gain more control over Wagner.

Tensions between the Kremlin and Wagner grew further when Prigozhin claimed on Friday that Russian forces had attacked a camp of the paramilitary group to the rear of Russian lines in Ukraine.

Prigozhin accused the Russian Defense Ministry for the alleged attack and personally swore to "punish" the perpetrators and Shoygu himself.

The Russian Defense Ministry denied the claim, calling it an "informational provocation." Russia's Federal Security Service later called on Wagner fighters to arrest Prigozhin, and described Prigozhin's actions as a "stab in the back."

* Writing by Seda Sevencan in Istanbul.