This is a blow that the Russian command of the armed forces, as well as Vladimir Putin himself, are aimed at by those who have fought for Russia so far. Wagner’s group with his leader rebels, enters Russia and takes Rostov-on-Don and Voronezh. Yevgeny Prigozhin demands changes in the leadership of the defense ministry.
Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group he leads say enough is enough to the Russian command of the armed forces. The cup of bitterness was overflowing with the attack on the mercenaries carried out – according to Prigozhin – on the orders of Moscow. – Many of our comrades have been killed. The evil that this country’s military leadership is doing must be stopped. Those responsible for this will be punished. We are going to restore justice,” Prigozhin said.
The units of the Wagner Group, which had been fighting so far in Ukraine, crossed the Russian border and entered Rostov-on-Don.
– We took control of military facilities, including the airport. The jets used to fight Ukraine take off on schedule, as do medical planes. We took control so that the air force would carry out attacks not on us, but on Ukraine. Operations Command is functioning normally. If something collapsed on the front line, we are not responsible for it – said the head of the Wagner Group.
Prigozhin demands a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. Otherwise, he announces a march on Moscow.
– I call on the command of the Wagner Group to end this mutiny. We went through a difficult road together, we fought together, we suffered losses. Return to your bases before it’s too late, General Sergey Surovikin, deputy commander of the Russian armed forces in Ukraine, appealed to the mercenaries.
So far, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunusbiek Yevkurov, who came to Rostov and talked to Prigozhin, has not achieved anything. On the shared recording, you can hear Prigozhin enumerating the mistakes of the command on the battlefield. – People die because you put them in a meat grinder. No ammunition, no idea, no plan. You’re just elderly clowns,” he pointed out.
Mercenaries from the Wagner Group on the streets of Rostov-on-DonReuters
Prigozhin: This is not a coup
The mercenaries of the Wagner Group went further. They seized military facilities in Voronezh, 500 kilometers from the Russian capital. The region’s authorities announced that “necessary military measures” had been taken. Shots and explosions were heard. There were also reports of an explosion in the fuel depot.
– This is not a coup. We’re going to explain why the country is in chaos. There are 25 thousand of us. I urge you not to resist. We don’t fight children, and Shoigu has set boys against us who are 18 years old and are like children and grandchildren to us. They will survive, they will return to their families, assures Prigozhin.
The Ministry of Defense of Russia calls on the mercenaries to disobey their commander. The Federal Security Service opened a criminal case against Prigozhin for inciting rebellion.
– This is a stab in the back of Russia and our people. Therefore, our response to these actions will be harsh. All those who have chosen the path of betrayal and are behind this rebellion, this act of terror, will be punished. They will answer both to the law and to the Russian people, said Vladimir Putin in his address.
– If Putin talks about treason, it means that in a sense Prigozhin has been sentenced – assesses Jerzy Haszczyński, a journalist for “Rzeczpospolita”.
Putin on the Wagnerian rebellion: It is a betrayal of the state and the nation. A stab in the backTVN24
Unrest in Moscow
An anti-terrorist regime and special security measures were introduced in Moscow. – Putin ordered to prepare as the state prepares for defense, i.e. transporters on the streets, various blockades. He is afraid not only of Prigozhin, but also of a larger revolt in Russia, believes the director of the Institute for Security and International Development, Major General Boguslaw Pacek.
The conflict between Prigozhin and the Russian Ministry of Defense has been brewing for months. The Wagnerian leader demanded changes in the ministry’s leadership, and criticized Shoigu for hiding mistakes on the battlefield and information about the scale of losses from Putin. He questioned the Kremlin’s stated reasons for invading Ukraine, such as the fact that its armed forces intended to attack Russia together with NATO.
– He talks in a way that shocks Russians about things that Russians often don’t know about. He talks about one hundred thousand victims, he says that Russia is the aggressor and attacked Ukraine, and not the other way around, and the Russians’ conviction based on Moscow propaganda is different, Pacek points out.
Where is the convoy of the Wagner Group and in what direction is it movingTVN24
Poland is watching the situation
Wagner’s group is mostly well-trained mercenaries. Disciplined and devoted to Prigozhin. They are brutal, but they can work more effectively than the regular Russian army. They were sent to fight for Bakhmut.
– The Russian Federation has realized that it has grown a cancer in its body, which fulfills its tasks and may still be needed, but under a different command. This is an extremely difficult situation for the Russians, but it proves that there is a split in the command and management systems there – assesses General Mieczysław Bieniek, former NATO deputy commander for transformation.
Ukraine and Poland are closely watching the situation in Russia. President Andrzej Duda announced via Twitter that he had consulted the Prime Minister, the Minister of National Defense and allies on this matter.
Main photo source: PAP/EPA/STRINGER