The owner of the mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said on Saturday that his soldiers did not have to fire a single shot to seize the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov and Don in southern Russia, Reuters reported.
On Saturday morning, the leader of the mercenaries announced that it is located at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don and is waiting there for the arrival of the Russian defense minister Sergey Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov. He threatened that otherwise the Wagnerians would “go to Moscow”.
Russian services in Rostov-on-DonPAP/EPA/ARKADY BUDNITSKY
Prigozhin said later on Saturday that his troops did not have to fire a single shot to seize the headquarters in Rostov. He also reported that the forces of the Wagner Group were shelled by artillery and helicopters on their way to the city. The head of the Wagnerians expressed confidence that he had the support of the Russian people in his – as he called it – “march of justice”.
The head of the Wagner Group also took control of all military facilities in Voronezh, a city 500 km south of the capital Russia. The convoy with Prigozhin’s mercenaries did not stop at this city, continuing north towards Moscow.
Member of the Wagner Group in RostovPAP/EPA
Members of the Wagner Group in Rostov-on-Don (Russia). The rebellion of Yevgeny Prigozhin and his formation continuesPAP/EPA/ARKADY BUDNITSKY
Putin called the Wagnerians traitors
Vladimir Putin called the soldiers of the mercenary Wagner Group traitors and assured that the rebels would be held accountable to the law and the people, and that Russia would be defended.
Prigozhin declared on Saturday after Putin’s speech that the Wagner Group would not give up in the fight against the regular Russian army.
Vladimir Putin’s speechPAP/EPA
Main photo source: PAP/EPA