- Prigozhin’s Claim: Wagner Mercenaries Seize Military Facilities in Rostov-on-Don
- Putin’s Response: Vows to Punish Those Who “Betrayed” Russia
- Escalating Tensions: Prigozhin’s Criticisms of Russian Military Leadership
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary organization in Russia, claims to have seized “all military facilities” in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.
The announcement comes hours after he threatened to remove Sergei Shoigu as defense minister.
President Vladimir Putin referred to this as a “backstab” and vowed to punish those who had “betrayed” Russia.
He acknowledged the difficulty of the situation in Rostov. In Moscow, heightened security has been implemented.
In Ukraine, the Wagner Group is a private army of mercenaries operating alongside the regular Russian army.
Mr. Prigozhin has been critical of Russia’s military leadership in recent months, heightening tensions between the two men.
Moscow refuted Mr. Prigozhin’s claim that the Russian military attacked his group’s Ukrainian base, escalating the situation.
Mr. Prigozhin claims that this is not a military rebellion, but his goal appears to be to overthrow Russia’s military leadership, according to Steve Rosenberg, the BBC’s Russia editor in Moscow.
Mr. Prigozhin stated in a video posted to his Telegram channel on Saturday that his fighters had entered Rostov-on-Don after crossing the border from Ukraine and that they would annihilate anyone who stood in their path.
He asserted that his forces had shot down a Russian military helicopter that had “opened fire on a civilian convoy”; however, he did not specify an exact location, and this claim could not be promptly confirmed.
The Rostov governor implored residents to remain calm and remain indoors.
Wagner forces dominate military installations near Voronezh, north of Rostov and en route to Moscow.
In a Saturday broadcast speech, Mr. Putin labelled the conduct a “betrayal” by those who put personal interests above Russia’s.
The Russian president promised to punish the guilty without naming Mr. Prigozhin. He commended the Wagner mercenaries for their participation in the Ukraine conflict and exhorted them not to follow their superiors.
Mr. Prigozhin and President Putin had a close relationship in the past.
In addition to the fact that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has not gone according to plan, the latest challenge has given the Russian leader a headache, and Mr. Putin has decided to say “Enough is enough.”
