RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE
Wagner PMC ‘armed coup’ attempt in Russia: All the latest news
Evgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group private military company, has been accused by the government of staging an armed insurrection.
The charges were brought late Friday night after Prigozhin accused Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, the chair of the Russian general staff, of serious crimes.
Prigozhin claimed to have ordered troops loyal to him to move towards Rostov-on-Don, a major city in southern Russia. Security measures were also reportedly beefed up in Moscow.
- 24 June 2023
22:34 GMT
Russia’s federal road agency, Rosavtodor, told TASS news agency that all restrictions on traveling on roads and highways have been lifted.
The traffic on some roads was suspended on Saturday as the Wagner fighters were moving towards the capital. - 22:16 GMT
The regional governor, Vasily Golubev, said that the Wagner convoy has left Rostov-on-Don and is now heading back to the company’s field camps. - 21:46 GMT
The Kremlin has revealed the details of the agreement with Wagner PMC. According to spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the criminal case against Prigozhin will be dropped and he will leave Russia for Belarus. Wagner troops will not be prosecuted, and those who did not take part in the insurrection will be permitted to sign on with the Russian Defense Ministry. - 19:54 GMT
A Wagner Group tank, which had been “stuck” in the gates of the Rostov-on-Don circus near the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District has left the location, footage from the scene shows. - 19:40 GMT
The Wagner Group PMC contractors have begun leaving the premises of the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don. Footage from the scene shows the fighters packing their belongings and weaponry, and boarding combat vehicles. - 17:32 GMT
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has held negotiations with the leader of the mutinous Russian PMC Wagner Group, Evgeny Prigozhin, and found an “absolutely beneficial and acceptable” way to end the crisis. The development was announced by Lukashenko’s press service, with the breakthrough reached after tense “day-long” talks.
The negotiations were conducted after speaking with and in coordination with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the press service noted. Prigozhin has accepted the offer to “stop advancements” of the PMC’s companies across Russia, it added. - 16:38 GMT
US President Joe Biden has discussed the ongoing insurrection in Russia with Washington’s closest allies. “President Biden spoke today with President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom. The leaders discussed the situation in Russia. They also affirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine,” the White House press service said in a statement. - 16:24 GMT
Multiple shots were fired outside of the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, RT correspondent Ilya Vasyuninn reports. Footage from the scene shows a Wagner Group PMC contractor firing an assault rifle at the entrance of a local office of Rostelecom, Russia’s biggest digital service provider, in an apparent attempt to break into the building. - 15:42 GMT
An anti-terrorism operation has been launched in Moscow, the city’s Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has announced, describing the ongoing situation as “difficult.” The upcoming Monday has been declared a non-working day in order to “minimize risks,” the mayor added. Sobyanin also called upon the city’s residents to reduce travel across the city, warning that road traffic in certain areas may be halted completely. - 15:27 GMT
A major bridge over the Oka River has been barricaded with heavy vehicles in the Russian city of Kolomna 114km southeast of Moscow. A large military column was spotted in the city heading to the southeast towards the city of Ryazan, unverified footage circulating online shows.
14:24 GMT
Tehran has called the ongoing insurrection an internal matter for Russia. “Iran supports the rule of law in the Russian Federation,” the spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanaani, said in a statement. - 14:01 GMT
Fighters of Akhmat, an elite National Guard unit from Russia’s Chechnya, have reached Rostov-on-Don, unverified footage circulating online shows. Multiple armored vehicles and trucks carrying personnel can be seen driving on the outskirts of the city, which has become the hotbed of the insurrection by the Wagner PMC. - 13:54 GMT
Wagner Group forces are moving through Lipetsk Region, located some 370km to the south of Moscow, local governor Igor Artamonov has said, urging civilians to stay at their homes and avoid unnecessary travel. “The situation remains under control,” the governor said, adding that the region’s critical infrastructure continues to operate without incident. - 13:05 GMT
Russia’s closest ally, Belarus, condemned the mutiny, with the country’s security council stating that Minsk remains committed to standing with Russia and fully supports the ongoing military operation in Ukraine. The council also branded the attempted coup a “gift to the collective West.” - 12:45 GMT
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin press service said.
“The Russian President briefed [Erdogan] on the situation in the country amid the attempted armed insurrection. Türkiye’s President expressed his full support towards the steps taken by the Russian leadership,” the press service said in a statement. - 12:32 GMT
Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) chief Sergey Naryshkin denounced the ongoing coup as “treason,” branding it “the most terrible crime, which cannot be justified by any past merits.” Meanwhile, he said that the attempt to spark a “civil war” in the country has already failed, with Russian society demonstrating “civic maturity.” - 11:43 GMT
A loud explosion has been heard in the vicinity of the headquarters of the Russian southern military district in Rostov-on-Don, RT correspondent Roman Kosarev, covering the coup attempt, reported on Saturday.
He posted a one-minute clip on social media showing a crowd of people running away from where the blast apparently occurred. There has been no immediate data on casualties, or whether the building sustained any damage. - 11:11 GMT
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said, “the most important thing for defeating the external and internal enemy who is hungry to tear our Motherland into shreds… is to unite around the president and supreme commander of the armed forces.”
“Split and betrayal lead to the greatest tragedy, to a universal disaster,” he warned in a post on Telegram, vowing that the Russian authorities will not let this happen. - 10:40 GMT
The head of Russia’s Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, called the insurrection by Wagner's chief a “hideous betrayal” adding that it should be quelled in order to protect the nation’s unity amid the conflict in Ukraine.
Chechen members of the Defense Ministry and the National Guard have already headed out to the regions where tensions are high. “The insurrection must be quelled, and if harsh measures are required, we are ready for them!” he stated in a post on Telegram. - 08:56 GMT
Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev said the Russian military is “carrying out the necessary operational and combat measures” in the region as part of the ongoing counter-terrorism operation, without providing further details. - 08:15 GMT
St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov said that the situation in the city, which is a home to the Wagner Center HQ, remains stable, with increased security measures put in place. He also noted that “lawful actions of law enforcement agents, including those in the Wagner Center building, have no impact on the ongoing activities in the city,” apparently referring to earlier reports that operatives were conducting searches there. - 07:54 GMT
The situation in Rostov-on-Don is tense but with no disorder, a Ria Novosti correspondent reports from the scene. Earlier in the day, several media outlets shared clips of tanks moving around the city, with unidentified soldiers patrolling the streets. - 07:11 GMT
All who consciously stick to the way of treason will receive imminent punishment, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his address to the nation. He added that the country’s armed forces have been given all necessary orders. - 06:35 GMT
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has canceled all mass public events, while adding that there are no restrictions on movement around the capital. - 06:26 GMT
The Russian Ministry of Defense has urged Wagner Group private military company soldiers to cease their armed insurrection, urging them to return to their bases. In a statement on Saturday, the ministry claimed that members of the PMC “have been tricked into taking part in [Wagner group chief Evgeny] Prigozhin’s criminal gamble,” adding that some Wagner fighters “have already understood their mistake” and have asked the authorities for help in safely returning to their permanent deployment areas. - 06:03 GMT
Russia’s National Antiterrorism Committee (NAK) has announced a “counter-terrorist operation regime” in Moscow and Moscow Region to prevent potential terrorist attacks. - 05:50 GMT
Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Vladimir Putin would deliver an address soon. - 05:49 GMT
Lipetsk Governor Igor Artamonov said the decision to block traffic on the M-4 highway leading to Voronezh resulted in a traffic jam. However, he said that the authorities promptly organized the distribution of food and water in the area while notifying drivers about the restrictions in advance. As a result, the length of the traffic jam decreased by three times to just 1km, he added. - 05:34 GMT
Voronezh Governor Aleksandr Gusev announced that all local mass public gatherings in the near future have been canceled, while stressing that the overall situation remains stable. - 05:04 GMT
Russian security operatives have entered the PMC Wagner Center in St. Petersburg, indicative of imminent searches, local media reports. It added that two buses with riot police pulled over near the building. Earlier, TASS news agency reported that the situation in the area remained calm. - 04:38 GMT
Vasily Golubev, the governor of Rostov region, has announced that all public mass events in the city scheduled for the weekend have been cancelled. He noted that public transport was operating, but downtown routes have been altered, adding that some restrictions have been put in place on roads leading to the city of Taganrog, west of Rostov-on-Don, and to the north of the city. - 03:59 GMT
The governor of Moscow Region, Andrey Vorobyov, has announced that authorities in the territory surrounding the Russian capital have ramped up security. He added that as part of “counterterrorist measures” in place, law enforcement agencies may organize additional vehicle inspections to the south of the Russian capital. He also urged local residents to refrain from using personal transport. - 03:23 GMT
Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin has announced on Telegram that local authorities are implementing “counterterrorist measures” to maximise public security. He added that the steps could involve additional roadblocks and temporary restrictions on public events. - 03:11 GMT
Vasily Golubev, the governor of Rostov region, urged residents to avoid downtown Rostov-on-Don and, if possible, not to leave their homes. The statement comes amid videos circulating on social media appearing to show tanks and armored vehicles on the move in the city center. - 02:28 GMT
A military column is on the move on the M-4 highway connecting Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don, local authorities have announced on Telegram, asking local residents to temporarily refrain from using the road. The statement adds that law enforcement agencies in the region are “taking all necessary measures to ensure public safety.” - 02:01 GMT
A video purportedly filmed in Rostov-on-Don shows a tank and an armored personnel carrier (APC) driving past a group of police officers who are guarding a fuel station. More military hardware, including another tank, another APC, two armored cars and a truck, follow shortly afterwards. - 01:56 GMT
The road connecting the city of Rostov-on-Don with the Azov Sea port of Taganrog, some 60 km to the west, has been fully shut down for traffic, a TASS correspondent has reported. Similar restrictions have also been reported relating to north-bound traffic on the M4 highway, which leads to Moscow. Other exits from Rostov-on-Don remain available, according to the report. - 01:36 GMT
Igor Artamonov, the governor of Lipetsk Region, has announced increased security measures, with particular focus on protecting critical infrastructure. He called on residents to avoid traveling to southern parts of Russia, including the neighboring Voronezh Region.
“The latest events have disturbed all of us. But I ask you all to keep calm,” he said on his Telegram account.
Lipetsk is located some 370 km south of Moscow and 590 km north of Rostov-on-Don. - 01:35 GMT
The Rostov Region branch of the Emergencies Ministry has warned about a fake post issued in its name on social media. The message falsely claims that a curfew has been imposed in the region, adding that those spreading the message are apparently seeking to cause panic. - 01:25 GMT
The Russian social network VK has blocked one of the statements released by Prigozhin’s press service on the platform. The post now states that the message is not available in Russia, based on a decision by the Prosecutor General’s office.
There are also claims that some news about Prigozhin’s latest steps are being blocked by Yandex, the Russian tech giant that runs an eponymous web search engine. - 01:09 GMT
Rostov Region Governor Vasily Golubev has urged residents via his Telegram channel to “keep calm and not leave home without need.” He added that law enforcement was doing everything necessary to ensure the safety of civilians. - 00:54 GMT
No unusual activity has been noted near the Wagner PMC headquarters in St. Petersburg, according to a TASS correspondent at the location. The news agency added that security guards have also denied reports that a search was underway in the building. - 00:47 GMT
Traffic camera video feed from Rostov-on-Don, which could have shown the alleged columns of Wagner military hardware moving through the streets, is presently unavailable. When trying to access the feed, users are greeted with a message saying ‘Access to the broadcast is temporarily limited’. - 00:44 GMT
The Russian Defense Ministry has warned on its Telegram channel that Ukrainian forces were preparing to use “Prigozhin’s provocation” to launch an assault in the vicinity of Artyomovsk. The Donbass city, which Ukraine calls Bakhmut, was the focal point of an intensive months-long battle, in which PMC Wagner played a significant role. The city was taken by Russian forces last month. - 00:33 GMT
TASS has reported increased security on the highway connecting Rostov-on-Don with central Russia, including Moscow. Police presence has been increased, and inbound traffic is kettled and subject to inspections. Vehicles are not allowed to travel from the city towards the capital at all, according to the news agency. - 00:29 GMT
The situation in Rostov-on-Don appears to be relatively calm, according to media reports from the city. Troops are deployed at the headquarters of the Russian Southern military district, but there are no signs that they are preparing to fight off an attack, according to Kommersant daily. - 00:23 GMT
Despite claims by Evgeny Prigozhin, there appears to be no video or photo evidence of any PMC forces moving through Russia. There are also no reports of any battles or skirmishes. - 00:22 GMT
The White House has said it is “monitoring the situation” in Russia. President Joe Biden has been informed about the developments, National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge told the media. US officials indicated that they consider the situation 'serious' and beyond Prigozhin's previous statements launched against the Russian military leadership in the past, according to CNN. - 00:00 GMT
Senior Russian military commanders, including Deputy commander of the Russian Joint Forces, Army General Sergey Surovikin and Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseev have recorded public video addresses to Wagner troops. They denounced Prigozhin’s actions and called on the fighters to stand down.
“This is a stab in the back to the nation and the president,” Alekseev said, warning that there was a risk of a civil war in Russia. Surovikin urged the soldiers to return to their positions and seek a peaceful resolution of the situation. - 23 June 2023
23:55 GMT
Putin is being informed on all the latest developments regarding the ‘armed coup attempt’ by Wagner PMC and its boss Evgeniy Prigozhin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated, according to TASS news agency. Peskov said Russia’s Ministry of Defense, FSB and National Guard are feeding information after ‘receiving orders from the president’. - 23:54 GMT
Moscow’s police have increased their presence in the city, taking additional measures to protect the Russian capital’s ‘most important buildings, public authorities and transport infrastructure’, the news agency TASS has reported. Several pictures and videos of military hardware moving through the city's streets have appeared on the web. - 23:53 GMT
The Defense Ministry denied the claim. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) accused Prigozhin of staging an armed coup and called on Wagner fighters to apprehend him. - 23:53 GMT
Later in the day Prigozhin claimed that the Russian military had attacked Wagner reserve positions. Prigozhin announced that forces loyal to him were moving towards the city of Rostov-on-Don. - 23:52 GMT
On Friday, Evgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian private military company Wagner Group, claimed that senior Russian commanders were traitors and demanded the prosecution of Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, the chair of the general staff.
WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
Rebel Russian mercenaries halt advance on Moscow, Kremlin says fighters to face no action
Heavily armed Russian mercenaries who advanced most of the way to Moscow halted their approach, de-escalating a major challenge to President Vladimir Putin's grip on power, in a move that their leader said would avoid bloodshed.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former Putin ally and founder of the Wagner army, said his men reached within 125 miles (200 km) of the capital on Saturday. Earlier, Moscow deployed soldiers in preparation for their arrival and told residents to stay indoors.
The Wagner fighters captured the city of Rostov hundreds of miles to the south before racing north in convoy, transporting tanks and armoured trucks and smashing through barricades set up to stop them, video showed.
On Saturday night, they began withdrawing from the Rostov military headquarters they had seized, a Reuters witness said.
"In 24 hours we got to within 200 km of Moscow. In this time we did not spill a single drop of our fighters' blood," Prigozhin, dressed in full combat uniform at an undisclosed location, said in a video.
"Understanding ... that Russian blood will be spilled on one side, we are turning our columns around and going back to field camps as planned."
Reuters could not independently verify how far Prigozhin's mercenaries had reached. Video earlier showed convoys of Wagner vehicles less than 310 miles (500 km) from Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that under a deal brokered by Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, the criminal case opened against Prigozhin for armed mutiny would be dropped, Prigozhin would move to Belarus, and Wagner fighters who joined his "march for justice" would face no action, in recognition of their previous service to Russia.
Peskov, who called the events of the day "tragic", said Lukashenko had offered to mediate, with Putin's approval, because he had known Prigozhin personally for around 20 years.
LITTLE PUSHBACK FROM ARMED FORCES
Wagner's lightning insurrection appeared to develop with little pushback from Russia's regular armed forces, raising questions about Putin's hold on power in the nuclear-armed nation even after the abrupt halt to Wagner's advance.
Earlier, Prigozhin said his "march" on Moscow was intended to remove corrupt and incompetent Russian commanders he blames for botching the war in Ukraine.
In a televised address, Putin said the rebellion put Russia's very existence under threat.
"We are fighting for the lives and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence, for the right to remain Russia, a state with a thousand-year history," Putin said, vowing punishment for those behind "an armed insurrection".
In later outlining the deal brokered by Lukashenko, Peskov said the agreement had the "higher goal" of avoiding confrontation and bloodshed.
Peskov declined to say whether any concessions were made to Prigozhin, other than guarantees of safety for him - something he said Putin gave his word to vouch for - and for Prigozhin's men, to persuade him to withdraw all his forces.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the developments, which sparked a flurry of high-level calls between Western leaders, exposed turmoil at the heart of in Russia.
"Today the world can see that the masters of Russia control nothing. And that means nothing. Simply complete chaos. An absence of any predictability," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address.
EX-CONVICTS IN WAGNER RANKS
The fighters led by Prigozhin, a former convict, include thousands of ex-prisoners recruited from Russian jails.
His men fought the bloodiest battles of the 16-month Ukraine war, including for the eastern city of Bakhmut. He railed for months against the military's top brass, especially Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, accusing them of incompetence and of withholding ammunition from his fighters.
This month, he defied orders to sign a contract placing his troops under Defence Ministry command.
He launched the apparent mutiny on Friday after alleging that the military had killed many of his fighters in an air strike. The Defence Ministry denied this.
He said he had captured the headquarters of Russia's Southern Military District without firing a shot in Rostov, which serves as the main rear logistical hub for Russia's entire invasion force in Ukraine.
Residents of the city had milled about calmly, filming on mobile phones as Wagner fighters in armoured vehicles and battle tanks took up positions.
Western capitals were closely following the situation. U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of France, Germany and Britain, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to G7 counterparts. The top U.S. military officer, Army General Mark Milley, canceled a scheduled trip to the Middle East.
UKRAINE ATTACKS NEAR BAKHMUT
The insurrection risked leaving Russia's invasion force in Ukraine in disarray, just as Kyiv is launching its strongest counteroffensive since the war began in February last year.
Some Ukrainians were gleeful at the prospect of a split in Russian ranks 16 months after the Kremlin's troops invaded their country.
Ukraine's military said on Saturday its forces made advances near Bakhmut, on the eastern front, and further south.
Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said an offensive was launched near a group of villages ringing Bakhmut, which was taken by Wagner forces in May after months of fighting.
Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, commander of the southern front, said Ukrainian forces had liberated an area near Krasnohorivka, west of the Russian-held regional centre of Donetsk.
Tarnavskiy said the area had been under Russian control since separatist forces backed by Moscow seized it in 2014.
RT/Reuters