August 23rd 1991: Gorbachev punishes coup plotters

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has begun his purge of cabinet members and officials involved in the failed coup four days ago. Two of the three ministers who signed the committee's takeover decree, defence minister Dmitri Yazov and KGB chief Vladimir Kryuchkov, have been arrested. The third, interior minister Boris Pugo, committed suicide to avoid arrest. Mr Gorbachev also sacked his prime minister, Valentin Pavlov, and foreign minister Aleksandr Bessmertnykh. Dozens of other party officials and senior army officers resigned or were dismissed. During an address to the Russian Parliament, the leader said his "entire government" should resign for failing to oppose the takeover. But Mr Gorbachev was unable to prevent his political rival, Russia's president Boris Yeltsin, capitalising on support he gained from opposing the coup and suspending the Russian Communist Party.