What the papers say – June 25

Just one story dominates Sunday’s papers.

The front pages on Sunday are consumed with the Wagner mercenary group’s coup attempt against the Kremlin.

The Observer and The Sunday Telegraph report the head of the Russian military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, halted his advance on Moscow just 120km from the city in order to “avoid bloodshed” after negotiating a deal through Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

The story is also carried by Sunday People and The Independent.

The Mail on Sunday cites UK security sources asking if Russian President Vladimir Putin bribed Mr Prigozhin to turn his forces around.

The Sunday Mirror and Sunday Express say the events pushed the Russian leader, and the country, “to the brink”.

The incident left Mr Putin “humiliated”, according to The Sunday Times, while the Daily Star Sunday pokes fun at the situation with the headline: “Putin the boot in.”