Putin Surprises Russian Delegation with Unannounced Visits to Kazakhstan and Southern Military District; Kazakh President's Speech in Kazakh Causes Confusion

Russian President Vladimir Putin made unannounced visits to Kazakhstan and the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don near the Ukraine border. During his visit to Kazakhstan, the Kazakh president surprised the Russian delegation by delivering a speech in Kazakh instead of Russian, causing confusion. Putin discussed the war in Ukraine with his military top brass, including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Staff Valery Gerasimov, during his visit to the Southern Military District. The visit to the headquarters in Rostov-on-Don holds significance as it was seized by Prigozhin and his PMC 'Wagner' during a mutiny in June 2022.