Moscow: The standoff between the Kremlin and Wagner mercenaries, who had threatened to invade the capital in a "march of justice" denouncing the conduct of the war in Ukraine, sparked unease or was dismissed as political theatre on Saturday in Moscow.
On the other hand, 16 months after the Kremlin's forces invaded their nation, Ukrainians were evidently pleased, even joyous, at the prospect of a rift in Russian ranks.
Before the head of the Wagner private militia announced that his fighters would retreat to avoid bloodshed, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, a supporter of President Vladimir Putin, had declared that a "counter-terrorism regime" was in place.
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Yevgeny Prigozhin had declared his desire to remove the army's top officers and "restore justice," and Putin had pledged to annihilate them.
One Moscow resident, who only gave his name as Nikolai because he preferred not to reveal his last name, observed the military occupy positions to guard the city.
He told Reuters, "It's frightening of course — you sit at home thinking about what might happen. It's upsetting for you and your loved ones, too. The scope of the events was difficult for some locals to comprehend.
It's a really difficult and unexpected development. I recently returned from college. Vladimir, a student, stated, "I just finished my last exam, and the news was really unexpected as I was preparing (for the exam) last night. "I'm not sure how I should respond. I still haven't really processed it in my mind.
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Natalia Tanich, 48, acknowledged some enjoyment in observing the Russian standoff in Independence Square in Kyiv, which was crowded with locals out for a stroll.
"I find what's going on in Russia interesting. It was expected that Prigozhin and Putin would clash, the speaker claimed. "I have no idea what might result from it. However, I want them to shoot each other and pass away.
Ivan claimed that the confrontation in Kkarkiv, the second city in Ukraine to regularly experience shelling since the invasion, was a result of the conflict's protracted duration and tense political climate.
They initiated the conflict, and now they are winning it. A spring responds to compression by rebounding more forcefully, he explained. "In Russia, the situation had gotten so bad that there was no hope. I view what took place as a natural occurrence. The war will be impacted, but I don't think it will end overnight. We will have to put up with a little.
Under Mayor Sobyanin, the state has lavishly spent money making Moscow an urban wonderland with a comparatively low crime rate. That is a far cry from the drab Soviet era and the 1990s, when it was plagued by contract killings or later experienced attacks by Chechen separatists, when they were both committed frequently. Galina, a woman, claimed that she believed what was taking place to be some sort of "provocation."
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It doesn't scare me at all, she declared. "I believe in our president and the people of this country." One man, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that he believed it was merely political theatre.
"They might postpone a few events, and I depend on events for my income. I could lose out because of this because I currently have an event going on," he said. Otherwise, let them carry on with their politics and business as usual.