Wagner group rebels against Russia? Captures the Russian city of Rostov

Rostov, Jun 24: Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin has claimed he is moving against Russia’s military leadership and that his fighters have entered the country’s Rostov region ready to “destroy everything” in their way – in a stunning series of developments that pits Moscow’s security establishment against a militia leader whose forces have played a pivotal role in the invasion of Ukraine.

 

 

 

Prigozhin, who is the chief of the private military group Wagner, made the claims in a series of Telegram messages on Friday and Saturday in which he accused Russian forces of striking a Wagner military camp and killing “a huge amount” of his fighters. Russia’s Ministry of Defense denied Prigozhin’s claims, calling it an “informational provocation”. The Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia’s domestic intelligence service, has responded by urging Wagner fighters to detain their leader, and on Friday it opened a criminal case against the Prigozhin.

 

 

 

The mercenary, who has frequently criticized Russia’s traditional military hierarchy, warned in his messages that retribution would be meted out for the alleged attack on his fighters. “We will deal with those who destroy Russian soldiers and return to the front, justice for the troops will be restored, and then justice for all of Russia,” he said. “There are 25,000 of us and we are going to find out why there is such chaos in the country. There are 25,000 of us waiting as a tactical reserve and a strategic reserve. It’s the whole army and the whole country, everyone who wants to, join us. We must end this debacle,” he said, in a radical escalation of a longstanding feud with Russia’s military leaders. Security measures were stepped up in Moscow Friday night. Russian intelligence official, Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseev, posted a video about Prigozhin’s actions that day, describing it as a coup attempt. “Only the president has the right to appoint the top leadership of the armed forces, and you are trying to encroach on his authority. This is a coup d’etat. There is no need to do this now because there is no greater damage to the image of Russia and to its armed forces,” he added. Prigozhin said that his criticism of the Russian military leadership was a “march of justice” and not a coup. “This is not a military coup, this is a march of justice. Our actions do not interfere with the troops in any way,” Prigozhin said. Wagner has played a prominent role in the Ukraine war, and Prigozhin, so far, has faced few consequences for his public feud with Russia’s military leadership – where he has accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and armed forces chief Valery Gerasimov of not giving his forces ammunition. The FSB’s criminal case against Prigozhin accused him of “calling for an armed rebellion” – a crime Russian prosecutors say is punishable by imprisonment for 12 to 20 years.

 

 

 

“We call on the PMC fighters not to make irreparable mistakes, to stop any forceful actions against the Russian people, not to carry out Prigozhin’s criminal and treacherous orders, and to take measures to detain him,” said the statement on Friday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian President Putin is aware of the situation and “all necessary measures are being taken,” according to state media RIA Novosti. As security measures stepped up in Moscow late on Friday, Prigozhin said his fighters entered Russia’s Rostov region, near southeast Ukraine, and were given a hero’s welcome. “The border guards came out to meet and hugged our fighters,” he said. In the first suggestion of open armed conflict between the two sides, Prigozhin on Saturday said his units were hit by a helicopter on a highway. It’s unclear exactly where the units were. “The Wagner units are intact, the helicopter is destroyed and is burning in the forest,” Prigozhin said, adding “We will take it as a threat and destroy everything around us.” Prigozhin also claimed a second helicopter was downed after it attacked civilians. He later said that Russian Guards and military police are supporting the Wagner group, saying 60-70 soldiers had already joined.

 

 

 

Rostov region Governor Vasily Golubev asked residents to stay calm and not leave their homes in a Telegram post-Saturday. “Law enforcement agencies are doing everything necessary to ensure the safety of the region’s residents,” Golubev said. Videos circulating on social media and geolocated to the city of Rostov-on-Don, the capital of the Rostov region, show military vehicles going through the streets and helicopters over the city Saturday morning. It is currently unclear whose command these vehicles are under the control of. The Rostov region is about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from Moscow. Security officials appeared to take no chances in the capital, according to Russian state media TASS. Social media posts showed military vehicles were seen driving around the main streets of the Russian capital in the early hours of Saturday. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Saturday on Telegram that “anti-terrorist” measures to strengthen security were being carried out in the capital as a result of “incoming information.” “Additional control on the roads has been introduced. Limitations on holding public events are possible,” he added. Russia’s top commander in Ukraine, Sergey Surovikin, urged Wagner mercenary fighters to “stop” and to “obey the will” of Putin in a Telegram video. “You can’t play into the hands of the enemy in this difficult time for the country,” he said.