During a visit to a command headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city near the Ukrainian border, Russian President Vladimir Putin showed signs of fear and distraction, body language expert Judi James told Daily Express US. The expert pointed out that as Putin got out of his SUV, he appeared “suspicious” and had an expression that “usually might suggest fear.” This visit by the Kremlin leader came while bombs were falling on Russian territory.

Rostov-on-Don, not only known for its proximity to the Ukrainian border and the heavily bombed city of Taganrog, was briefly taken by insurgent Wagner mercenaries in June, Daily Express US reported. Another significant event happened over the weekend when the Soltsy military airport in Novgorod region was attacked. A bomber plane was damaged. Moscow described the incident as a Ukrainian “terrorist attack”.

ISW: Putin still stands behind Gerasimov

The Institute for the Study of War interprets Putin’s visit to Rostov-on-Don as a sign that he still stands behind General Valery Gerasimov and his commando group, despite their failure to stop the Wagner mercenary uprising or the war’s objectives to achieve that Putin had set. The visit, according to the Daily Express US, could also be seen as an attempt to show strength and emphasize that he remains in control of his military and regime.