Russia accused Wagner mercenaries of “treason” on Saturday in a reside deal with to the nation after the group’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin known as for an armed rebellion to oust the protection minister on Friday. Russian authorities reacted instantly, opening a felony investigation and urging Prigozhin’s arrest. Follow our reside weblog for the most recent updates. All instances are Paris time (GMT+2).
3:14pm: Belarus overseas ministry says Wagner revolt is a ‘reward’ to the West
Russia’s shut ally Belarus stated Saturday that the armed rebellion underway by the Wagner Group was a “gift” to Western international locations, warning the rebellion might spell “disaster”.
“Any provocation, any internal conflict in military or political circles, in the information field or in civil society is a gift to the collective West,” the Belarusian overseas ministry stated, citing an announcement by Minsk’s safety council.
3:06pm: Putin indicators legislation allowing 30-day detentions for breaking martial legislation
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a legislation allowing 30-day detentions for breaking martial legislation in locations the place it has been imposed, the state RIA news company reported.
2:54pm: Chechnya’s Kadyrov says sending items to ‘zones of pressure’ in Russia following Wagner revolt
The strongman chief of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, introduced Saturday he had despatched Chechen items to “zones of tension” in Russia after Wagner mercenaries launched a revolt within the nation.
“Defence ministry and National Guard fighters of the Chechen Republic have already left for the zones of tension,” Kadyrov, an in depth ally of President Vladimir Putin, stated on Telegram. “The rebellion must be put down, and if harsh measures are necessary, we are ready!”
2:37pm: Russian troopers arrange machine gun place on fringe of Moscow, Russian newspaper reviews
Russian troopers on Saturday arrange a machine gun place on the southwest fringe of Moscow, in response to pictures revealed by the Vedomosti newspaper.
Photographs additionally confirmed armed police gathering on the level the place the M4 freeway – which rebelling Wagner mercenaries are transferring alongside – reaches the Russian capital.
2pm: Prigozhin says Wagner forces took military HQ with out firing a single shot
Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin stated on Saturday that his Wagner troops had not wanted to fireside a single shot once they took management of the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District in Rostov.
“Why does the country support us? Because we went on a march of justice,” Prigozhin stated in his newest Telegram audio message. “We got to Rostov. Without a single shot we captured the building of the (army) HQ.”
In a brand new audio message launched by his press service, he stated his males had been fired on by artillery and helicopters en path to Rostov nevertheless.
He stated he thought he had the assist of the Russian individuals for what he calls his “march of justice”.
1:59pm: Putin working within the Kremlin as revolt ongoing, spokesman says
Russian President Vladimir Putin is working as regular within the Kremlin, his spokesman stated Saturday, after the Russian Wagner mercenary group vowed to topple the nation’s senior army management.
“The president is working in the Kremlin,” his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, informed the state-run RIA Novosti news company, after Wagner items claimed to have captured army installations in southern Russia.
1:57pm: Qatar expresses concern over scenario in Russia
Qatar expressed its issues over the scenario in Russia on Saturday and known as for “maximum restraint” from all events, the overseas ministry stated in an announcement.
“The foreign ministry warns that escalation in Russia and Ukraine will have negative consequences for international peace and security and will impact food and energy supplies,” the assertion added.
1:55pm: Russian military says rebuffed Kyiv assaults in south and east Ukraine
The Russian military on Saturday stated it had rebuffed assaults from Kyiv’s forces within the south and east of Ukraine, amid rival Wagner forces’ revolt inside Russia, vowing to overthrow Moscow’s high brass.
Russian military items had “in the last day successfully fought off nine attacks” alongside the Donetsk entrance, together with close to Bakhmut, Moscow’s military stated in an announcement. It added that an assault in southern Ukraine, close to the settlement of Yablokovo within the Zaporizhzhia area, was additionally pushed again.
1:35pm: Russian helicopters open hearth on Wagner column rolling in direction of Moscow
Russian army helicopters opened hearth on Saturday afternoon on a convoy of insurgent mercenaries already greater than midway in direction of Moscow in a lightning advance after seizing a southern metropolis in a single day.
A Reuters journalist noticed military helicopters open hearth on an armed Wagner column that was advancing previous the town of Voronezh with troop carriers and a minimum of one tank on a flatbed truck. The metropolis is greater than midway alongside the 1,100-km (680-mile) freeway from Rostov to Moscow.
Fighters from Yevgeny Prigozhin’s personal Wagner militia have seized management of Rostov-on-Don, a metropolis of greater than 1,000,000 individuals near the border with Ukraine, and are quickly advancing northwards by way of western Russia.
1:25pm: Russian Lipetsk area governor urges residents to remain house
Authorities in Russia’s southwestern Lipetsk area urged residents to remain at house on Saturday after the Wagner mercenary group vowed to take up arms to topple the nation’s army management.
“To ensure law and order and the safety of the citizens of the Lipetsk region, the operational headquarters of the region asks residents without urgent need not to leave their homes and refrain from any travel by personal or public transport,” the regional authorities’s press service stated in an announcement on social media.
Lipetsk is situated north from Voronezh, between the latter and Moscow. They issued the warning amid reviews that rebellious Wagner mercenaries had been transiting the area en path to Moscow. A Reuters journalist on Saturday reported seeing a military helicopter open hearth on an armed Wagner column on the M4 freeway exterior Voronezh.
1:10pm: Navigation on Moskva river quickly suspended, authorities say
Navigation on the Moskva river, which runs by way of the Russian capital Moscow, was quickly suspended on Saturday amid an armed revolt launched by the Wagner mercenary group, the state news company TASS reported, citing the authorities.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated in a separate assertion that no restrictions had been put in place for automobiles and lorries coming out and in of the town, however stated safety checks had been stepped up.
12:24pm: Oil depot gasoline tank on hearth in Russia’s Voronzeh area, governor says
The governor of Russia’s Voronezh area stated on Saturday that emergency providers had been attempting to place out a burning gasoline tank at an oil depot.
“In Voronezh, (authorities) are extinguishing a burning fuel depot,” the governor Alexander Gusev stated on Telegram. “There are 100 firefighters and more than 30 vehicles at the scene,” he added, saying there have been “no victims according to the first data.”
Gusev didn’t give the reason for the hearth, however video footage obtained by Reuters confirmed a ball of fireside erupting after a helicopter flew close to a residential space. The Voronezh location was verified by Reuters by buildings and street traits that matched satellite tv for pc imagery.
Earlier on Saturday, a Russian safety supply informed Reuters that Wagner fighters had taken management of army services within the metropolis of Voronezh, about 500 km (310 miles) south of Moscow. It is situated midway between Rostov-on-Don, whose army HQ Wagner claimed management of, and Russian capital Moscow.
12:15pm: Wagner revolt exhibits Russia’s ‘full-scale weak spot’, says Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated Saturday that an armed rebellion launched by members of the Wagner mercenary group was proof of Russia’s inherent political instability.
“Russia’s weakness is obvious. Full-scale weakness. And the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will have for itself later,” he stated in assertion on social media, including that: “Ukraine is able to protect Europe from the spread of Russian evil and chaos.”
11:50am: Wagner fighters declare management of Voronezh army services
A Russian safety supply informed Reuters that Wagner fighters had additionally taken management of army services within the metropolis of Voronezh, additional north on the street in direction of Moscow.
The governor of Russia’s southern area of Voronezh stated Saturday that Russian army had been taking crucial measures to suppress an try by the Wagner mercenary group to topple the nation’s senior army management.
“As part of the counter-terrorist operation on the territory of the Voronezh region, the armed forces of the Russian Federation are carrying out necessary operational and combat measures,” the official, Alexander Gusev, stated in an announcement on social media.
Reuters couldn’t independently verify the scenario there.
In Moscow, there was an elevated safety presence on the streets. Red Square was blocked off by steel obstacles.
11:45am: Wagner chief Prigozhin ‘attempting to make a spot for himself for the post-Putin Russia’, says analyst
Political analyst Alexandra Filippenko breaks down Wagner’s revolt: “This has been prepared for a long time.”
11:35am: Wagner chief Prigozhin says fighters won’t flip themselves in, calls Putin ‘deeply mistaken’
Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin stated on Saturday that he and his Wagner Group’s males wouldn’t flip themselves in on the orders of President Vladimir Putin.
The former president’s shut ally and the pinnacle of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin Saturday stated Russian President Vladimir Putin was “deeply mistaken” in calling rebelling Wagner fighters “traitors”.
“On treason of the motherland: the president is deeply wrong. We are patriots of our motherland,” Prigozhin, who launched a mutiny in a single day, stated in an audio message on Telegram. “Nobody plans to turn themselves in at the request of the president, the FSB (security service) or anyone else.”
11:05am: Chechen chief says his forces are prepared to assist put down Wagner revolt
Chechen chief Ramzan Kadyrov stated on Saturday his forces had been prepared to assist put down an ongoing armed rebellion by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and to make use of harsh strategies if crucial. Kadyrov in an announcement known as Prigozhin’s behaviour “a knife in the back” and known as on Russian troopers to not give in to any “provocations”.
10:55am: Officials in Russian-occupied Ukraine categorical assist for Putin
The Russian-installed heads of Ukrainian areas occupied by Moscow on Saturday expressed assist for President Vladimir Putin as Russia faces a rare revolt by mercenaries from the Wagner Group.
“The Kherson region and the people of Kherson completely support our president!”, the Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s southern Kherson area stated on Telegram. The Kremlin-appointed head of the a part of the Zaporizhzhia area managed by Moscow, Yevgeny Balitsky, stated the territory was “with the president”.
10:40am: Wagner workplace in Saint Petersburg raided, native news outlet reviews
Russian legislation enforcement seems to have carried out a raid on the Wagner workplace in St Petersburg, native news outlet Fontanka has reported.
“Law enforcers have entered PMC Wagner Centre on St Petersburg’s Zolnaya street,” the outlet reported. Two buses with riot police and nationwide guards have arrived on the constructing, it reviews, coming into along with individuals in plain clothes. Fontanka posted in regards to the raid on its Telegram channel on Saturday.
The news outlet claimed that “people in masks and with automatic rifles” had been deployed close to Saint Petersburg’s Blagoveshchensky bridge, the place a resort and a restaurant linked to Wagner boss Yevgeni Prigozhin are situated.
10:30am: Russia’s Putin briefed Belarus’ Lukashenko on scenario in Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday briefed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the scenario in Russia, in response to a message posted on the Belarusian presidency’s official Telegram channel.
9:50am: Western international locations following scenario in Russia
US President Joe Biden was briefed on the scenario in Russia and Washington and “will be consulting with allies and partners on these developments”, National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge stated.
Poland’s president Andrzej Duda “held consultations with the prime minister and the ministry of defence, as well as with allies” in regards to the scenario in Russia, he wrote on Twitter on Saturday, including that Warsaw was monitoring the scenario. “The course of events beyond our eastern border is monitored on an ongoing basis,” he stated.
French President Emmanuel Macron “is following the situation very closely,” the presidential palace stated on Saturday. “We stay focused on the support to Ukraine,” it added.
Britain’s authorities has additionally been issuing a number of reviews. Britain’s overseas ministry warned of a threat of unrest throughout Russia, in an replace of recommendation to travellers on Saturday following actions by Russia’s Wagner Group of mercenary forces. “There are reports of military tensions in the Rostov region and a risk of further unrest across the country,” Britain’s overseas ministry stated.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s authorities can also be monitoring the scenario. “We are monitoring events in Russia closely,” a spokesperson on the authorities’s press workplace stated on Saturday;
European Council President Charles Michel stated on Saturday he was “closely monitoring” the scenario in Russia and was in contact with fellow European Union leaders and G7 companions. “This is clearly an internal Russian issue,” Michel, the president of the physique that brings collectively the leaders of the EU’s 27 member international locations, stated on Twitter. He additionally stated the EU’s assist for Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, was “unwavering”.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has additionally stated “Estonia is closely following the development of the situation in Russia and exchanging information with allies. I can assure that there is no direct threat to our country. Border security has been strengthened. I also urge our people not to travel to any part of Russia.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is intently monitoring occasions in Russia, her workplace stated Saturday, whereas her overseas minister urged Italians dwelling there to train warning.”Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is closely following the events taking place in Russia, which show how the aggression against Ukraine is causing instability also within Russia,” her workplace stated in an announcement. On Twitter, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that for the second there was no concern for Italians dwelling in Russia, however stated they had been “advised to be cautious”.
9:34am: Russian state going through ‘vital problem’ from Wagner revolt, Britain’s defence ministry says
Britain’s defence ministry stated on Saturday that the Russian state was going through its best safety problem of latest instances and that the result would depend upon the “loyalty of Russia’s security forces”.
“Over the coming hours, the loyalty of Russia’s security forces, and especially the Russian National Guard, will be key to how this crisis plays out. This represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times,” Britain’s defence ministry stated in an everyday intelligence replace Saturday morning.
UK army intelligence stated earlier that Wagner items had been transferring north by way of Vorenezh oblast and are probably headed for Moscow.
9:04am: Putin accuses Wagner of ‘treason’, requires ‘unity’ of safety forces
In a televised deal with to the nation Saturday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin known as an armed revolt by Wagner mercenaries “treason” whereas promising to “defend the people” and Russia.
He accused these concerned of “betraying” Russia out of “personal ambition”, calling the actions “a knife in the back”.
Putin stated the revolt had blocked native civilian and army governing our bodies in Rostov-on-Don and vowed to punish these accountable.
He stated the scenario remained “difficult” in the important thing southern metropolis, the place the Wagner group claimed management of the military headquarters, which oversees the combating in Ukraine.
Russia’s FSB opened a felony probe into Prigozhin for “armed mutiny” on Friday.
9:00am: At least three killed in newest Russian air strike on Ukraine
At least three individuals had been killed early on Saturday after Russia unleashed its newest in a single day air strike on Ukraine, officers stated. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko stated missiles had focused least 5 areas throughout the nation and that three individuals had been killed and eight wounded after a high-rise within the capital Kyiv was struck.
Officials within the southeastern area of Dnipropetrovsk stated eight individuals had been wounded – two of them youngsters – and several other buildings destroyed in assaults there.
Governor Serhiy Lysak stated air defences had destroyed 9 missiles and three drones however that residential buildings within the regional capital Dnipro and an unspecified infrastructure object had been hit. “Not a single military target,” Mayor Borys Filatov wrote individually on Telegram.
At least three Russian missiles additionally focused Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest metropolis, with one hitting a gasoline line and triggering a fireplace, stated Mayor Ihor Terekhov. He stated emergency providers had been on the scene however gave no particulars on casualties.
8:52am: Russian military urges Wagner fighters to desert Prigozhin, says will ‘assure security’ for deserters
The Russian military on Saturday urged Wagner fighters to desert the group’s chief, saying it might “guarantee the safety” of Wagner mercenaries who cease rebelling towards Moscow’s army management.
“We are appealing to the fighters of assault squads of PMC Wagner. You were deceived into (Wagner chief’s Yevgeny) Prigozhin’s criminal venture and participation in an armed rebellion,” the military stated in an announcement posted on Telegram. It known as on the fighters to ask for assist to return to “places of permanent deployment”.
“We ask you to show reason and get in touch with representatives of Russia’s defence ministry or law enforcement. We guarantee safety for all.”
8:40am: ‘We are watching’, ‘the whole lot simply starting in Russia’, Kyiv says
Ukrainian officers have categorical restricted response to Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s name for revolt. Ukrainian Defence Ministry has tweeted “We are watching”, with no further comments. According to FRANCE 24’s correspondent Gulliver Cragg, Ukrainians took to social media following this “surprising” news.
A senior aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday additionally described the actions by Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin as a “counter-terrorist operation” and stated that “everything is just beginning in Russia”.
“The split between the elites is too obvious. Agreeing and pretending that everything is settled won’t work,” Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted. “Someone must definitely lose: either Prigozhin … or the collective ‘anti-Prigozhin’,” he added. “Everything is just beginning in Russia.”
8:15am: Russia declares ‘anti-terrorist operation regime’ in Moscow
Russia’s anti-terrorist committee stated on Saturday that it was imposing an “anti-terror operation regime” in Moscow and the encompassing area amid an obvious revolt by the Wagner mercenary group, the state news company RIA reported.
“With the aim of preventing possible terrorist acts on the territory of the city of Moscow and the Moscow region, an anti-terror operation regime has been introduced,” the nation’s nationwide anti-terrorist committee stated in an announcement quoted by Russian businesses.
8:11am: Wagner head Prigozhin claims troops controls military HQ overseeing combating in Ukraine, planes ‘leaving as regular’
Yevgeny Prigozhin posted a video of himself in Rostov-on-Don on the Russian army headquarters that oversees the combating in Ukraine. He claimed that his forces had army services within the metropolis underneath their management, together with the air area. Other movies posted on social media confirmed army autos, together with tanks, on the streets exterior.
“We are inside the (army) headquarters, it is 7:30 am (0430 GMT),” Prigozhin stated in a video on Telegram. “Military sites in Rostov, including an aerodrome, are under control,” he added.
He stated that planes participating within the Ukraine offensive “are leaving as normal” from the airfield. “We took (the aerodrome) under control so that the attack aviation did not strike us, but strike Ukrainians,” Prigozhin stated.
8am: Russian President Putin to offer televised deal with ‘quickly’, Kremlin says
Russian President Vladimir Putin will give a televised deal with quickly, the TASS news company cited the Kremlin as saying on Saturday. “Putin will make an address soon”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed Russian news businesses.
6:55am: Wagner chief says group inside Rostov military HQ, controls all metropolis’s army websites, together with HQ that oversees Ukraine combating
The head of Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin introduced Saturday that he was inside the military HQ in southern Russia’s Rostov-on-Don and that his fighters management the town’s army websites, together with an aerodrome, after vowing to carry down Moscow’s high brass.
“We are inside the (army) headquarters, it is 7:30 am (0430 GMT),” Prigozhin stated in a video on Telegram. “Military sites in Rostov, including an aerodrome, are under control,” he added.
The metropolis is house to the Russian army headquarters that oversees the combating in Ukraine.
5:48am: Russian M-4 motorway closed to site visitors 400 km south of Moscow, says regional governor
The governor of the Lipetsk area in central Russia stated on Saturday that the M-4 motorway connecting Moscow with southern areas was closed to site visitors on the border with the Voronezh area, some 400 km (250 miles) south of Moscow.
Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared to have despatched an armed convoy of his Wagner fighters on a 1,200-km (750-mile) drive in direction of Moscow, having stated that he supposed to oust the army management.
5:15am: Moscow mayor says ‘anti-terror’ actions underneath approach
The mayor of Moscow stated on Saturday that “anti-terror” measures had been being taken within the Russian capital after the chief of mercenary group Wagner vowed to carry down the nation’s army management.
Authorities within the areas of Rostov and Lipetsk additionally stated safety had been bolstered there.
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin stated earlier his items, which spearheaded an assault in jap Ukraine, had entered the southern area of Rostov.
“In connection with the incoming information in Moscow, anti-terrorist measures aimed at strengthening security are being taken,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated on social media.
Lipetsk governor Igor Artamonov stated he was in a gathering with members of the FSB safety service.
5:04am: Anti-Kremlin tycoon urges Russians to again Wagner chief
Anti-Kremlin determine Mikhail Khodorkovsky on Saturday urged Russians to assist the chief of mercenary group Wagner who has vowed to carry down Moscow’s army management.
“We need to help now, and then, if necessary, we will fight this one, too,” Khodorkovsky, a former oil tycoon who fell foul of the Kremlin, wrote on social media. He stated it was essential to again “even the devil” if he determined to tackle the Kremlin. “And yes, this is just the beginning.”
5:00am: Armed males skirt police constructing seen on movies posted on Russia’s Rostov-on-Don
Videos posted on Russian native Rostov-on-Don Telegram channels early on Saturday confirmed armed males in uniform skirting the town’s regional police headquarters, belonging to the Interior Ministry.
It was not instantly clear who the armed males had been. Reuters was capable of confirm the placement because the police headquarters constructing, however to not decide when the video was shot.
Authorities in southern Russian areas had stated measures had been being taken to make sure public security, after the founding father of Russia’s Wagner mercenary pressure indicated that he deliberate to despatch males to Moscow to oust the army management.
4:30am: Russian army convoy on the transfer, says governor
The authorities of the southern Russian Voronezh area urged residents to keep away from the M-4 north-south motorway connecting Moscow to southern areas as a result of a army convoy was on the transfer there, after the chief of the Wagner personal militia advised that he deliberate to oust Russia’s army management.
The authorities stated on its Telegram channel that the scenario was underneath management and that measures had been being taken to make sure public security.
4:26am: Wagner chief says his 25,000-strong pressure is ‘able to die’
The chief of mercenary group Wagner stated on Saturday that his 25,000-strong pressure was “ready to die” as he vowed to topple Russia’s army management.
“All of us are ready to die. All 25,000, and then another 25,000,” Yevgeny Prigozhin stated in a brand new audio message. “We are dying for the Russian people.”
3:30am: Wagner chief vows to topple Russian army management
The head of the Wagner mercenary group vowed Saturday to “go to the end” to topple the Russian army management, whom he accused of launching strikes on his males, whereas the nation’s prosecutor normal stated he was underneath investigation for “armed rebellion”.
“We are going onwards and we will go to the end,” Yevgeny Prigozhin, 62, stated in an audio message.
“We will destroy everything that stands in our way,” he added in probably the most audacious problem to President Vladimir Putin for the reason that begin of the offensive in Ukraine final 12 months.
He later claimed his forces had shot down a Russian army helicopter.
“A helicopter has just now opened fire at a civilian column. It has been shot down by units of PMC Wagner,” he stated.
Prigozhin earlier stated his forces, who’ve spearheaded a lot of Russia’s offensive, had entered the southern Russian area of Rostov however didn’t present any proof and AFP couldn’t independently confirm his claims.
In Moscow, authorities have tightened safety measures, with crucial services “put under reinforced protection”, the TASS state-run news company reported, citing a legislation enforcement supply.
The FSB safety service urged Wagner fighters to “take measures to detain” Prigozhin.
Putin was being given common updates on the unfolding tensions between the Wagner group and the defence ministry, the Kremlin stated.
Prosecutor General Igor Krasnov had knowledgeable Putin of “the initiation of a criminal case in connection with an attempt to organise an armed rebellion,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated.
3:11am: Southern Russian governor tells residents to remain house as boss of Wagner militia mutinies
The governor of southern Russia’s Rostov area adjoining Ukraine informed residents early on Saturday to stay calm and keep indoors, because the chief of the Wagner personal militia led what Russia calls a revolt towards the Moscow defence institution.
“Law enforcement agencies are doing everything necessary to ensure the safety of residents of the area. I ask everyone to stay calm and not to leave home unless necessary,” Vassily Golubev stated in a message on his Telegram channel simply earlier than 4 a.m. (0100 GMT).
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had stated his forces had crossed from Ukraine into the Rostov area. Golubev’s message didn’t say whether or not Prigozhin had entered Rostov.
Kyiv, in the meantime, stated the foremost thrust in its counteroffensive towards Moscow’s invasion had but to be launched. “The main blow is still to come,” Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar informed Ukrainian tv
2:30am: Moscow accuses Wagner head of ‘mutiny’, he says his forces entered Russia
Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin stated on Saturday his Wagner fighters had crossed the border into Russia from Ukraine and had been ready to go “all the way” towards Moscow’s army, hours after the Kremlin accused him of armed ‘mutiny’.
As a long-running standoff between Prigozhin and the army high brass appeared to come back to a head, Russia’s FSB safety service opened a felony case towards him, TASS news company stated. It known as on the Wagner personal army firm forces to disregard his orders and arrest him.
Wagner fighters had entered the southern Russian metropolis of Rostov, Prigozhin stated in an audio recording posted on Telegram. He stated he and his males would destroy anybody who stood of their approach.
Prigozhin earlier stated, with out offering proof, that Russia’s army management had killed an enormous variety of his troops in an air strike and vowed to punish them.
He stated his actions weren’t a army coup. But in a frenzied collection of audio messages, through which the sound of his voice generally assorted and couldn’t be independently verified, he appeared to recommend that his 25,000-strong militia was en path to oust the management of the defence ministry in Moscow.
Security was stepped up on Friday night time at authorities buildings, transport services and different key areas in Moscow, TASS reported, citing a supply at a safety service.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was getting around-the-clock updates, TASS stated, whereas the White House stated it was monitoring the scenario and would seek the advice of with allies.
Kyiv, in the meantime, stated the foremost thrust in its counteroffensive towards Moscow’s invasion had but to be launched. “The main blow is still to come,” Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar informed Ukrainian tv.
Key developments from Friday, June 23:
Russia’s FSB safety providers launched a felony probe into calls to stage “armed mutiny” after the pinnacle of the Wagner mercenary group vowed to withstand Moscow’s army management, officers stated Friday. The announcement follows statements from Yevgeny Prigozhin accusing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu of ordering a rocket strike on Wagner’s area camps in Ukraine.
Read yesterday’s liveblog to see how all of the day’s occasions unfolded.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
Originally revealed on France24