Yevgeny Prigozhin announced an armed rebellion early on June 24 to oust Russia’s Defence Minister and claimed that his forces had crossed into Russia from Ukraine and had reached Rostov
June 24, 2023 01:16 pm | Updated 01:38 pm IST
Fighters of Wagner private mercenary group are seen atop of a tank in a street near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia on June 24, 2023.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
The Wagner forces have played a crucial role in Russia’s war in Ukraine, succeeding in taking the city where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place, Bakhmut. But the owner of the Wagner private military contractor, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian tycoon with close ties with the Kremlin, made his most direct challenge to the Kremlin yet, calling for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s Defence Minister.
Prigozhin, who said he had 25,000 troops under his command, said his troops would punish Shoigu in an armed rebellion and urged the army not to offer resistance: “This is not a military coup, but a march of justice.”
More than a year after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, there are signs of escalation everywhere. The West has recently announced the supply of more advanced weapons to Ukraine, deepening its involvement in the conflict. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has already reinforced Russian positions along the 1,000-km-long frontline in Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of troops, announced the suspension of his country’s participation in the New Start treaty, which could trigger a nuclear arms race. Ukraine, with the free flow of weapons from the West, hopes to arrest the Russian advances and begin its own offensive to regain lost land. As the war is extended, risks of a direct confrontation between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), both nuclear powers, are also on the rise.
Mr. Prigozhin, whose Wagner militia spearheaded the capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut last month, has for months been openly accusing Shoigu and Gerasimov of incompetence and of denying Wagner ammunition and support in its battles in Ukraine.
The dramatic turn, with many details unclear, looked like the biggest domestic crisis President Vladimir Putin has faced since he ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine — something he called a “special military operation” — in February last year.
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June 24, 2023 13:29
Putin calls armed rebellion by mercenary chief a betrayal and promises to defend Russia
Putin vowed to defend the country and its people from an armed rebellion declared by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Putin said the mutiny amounted to “a deadly threat to our statehood” and vowed “tough actions” in response. “All those who prepared the rebellion will suffer inevitable punishment. The armed forces and other government agencies have received the necessary orders,” Putin said.
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June 24, 2023 13:19
U.K. says Russia now facing greatest challenge of recent times
Britain’s defence ministry said on Saturday that the Russian state was facing its greatest security challenge of recent times, following what it said appeared to be a move by Wagner Group mercenary forces towards Moscow.
“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,” Britain’s defence ministry said in a regular intelligence update.
“This represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times,” it added.
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June 24, 2023 13:17
Putin says Wagner mutiny is ‘treason’ in televised address
Vladimir Putin said in an emergency televised address on Saturday that an “armed mutiny” by the Wagner Group mercenary force was treason, and that anyone who had taken up arms against the Russian military would be punished.
He said he would do everything to protect Russia, and that “decisive action” would be taken to stabilise the situation in Rostov-on-Don, a southern city where Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said his forces had taken control of all military installations.
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June 24, 2023 13:17
Wagner chief says he is inside Rostov army HQ, controls city’s military sites
The head of Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin announced Saturday that he was inside the army HQ in southern Russia’s Rostov-on-Don and that his fighters control the city’s military sites, including an aerodrome, after vowing to bring down Moscow’s top brass.
“We are inside the (army) headquarters, it is 7:30 am (0430 GMT),” Prigozhin said in a video on Telegram. “Military sites in Rostov, including an aerodrome, are under control,” he added.
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June 24, 2023 13:17
Wagner head suggests his mercenaries headed for Moscow to take on army leadership
Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared to suggest he had sent an armed convoy on a 1,200-km (750-mile) charge towards Moscow on Saturday in an unlikely attempt to topple the military leadership.
Russian local officials said a military convoy was on the main motorway linking the southern part of European Russia, bordering Ukraine, with Moscow, and warned residents to avoid it.
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June 24, 2023 13:16
Security tightened in several Russian regions
The mayor of Moscow said on Saturday that “anti-terror” measures were being taken in the Russian capital after the chief of mercenary group Wagner vowed to bring down the country’s military leadership.
Authorities in the regions of Rostov and Lipetsk also said security had been reinforced there.
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June 24, 2023 13:16
Wagner chief says his 25,000-strong force ‘ready to die’
The chief of mercenary group Wagner said on Saturday that his 25,000-strong force was “ready to die” as he vowed to topple Russia’s military leadership.
“All of us are ready to die. All 25,000, and then another 25,000,” Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a new audio message. “We are dying for the Russian people.”
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June 24, 2023 13:16
Russian mercenary chief says his forces are rebelling, some left Ukraine and entered Russia city
The owner of the Wagner private military contractor made his most direct challenge to the Kremlin yet on Friday, calling for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defense minister. The security services reacted immediately by calling for the arrest of Yevgeny Prigozhin.
In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin was taking the threat, security was heightened in Moscow and in Rostov-on-Don, which is home to the Russian military headquarters for the southern region and also oversees the fighting in Ukraine.
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