Russia-Ukraine Live Updates, June 24, 2023: Russian President Vladimir, calling the rebellion by Wagner chief and mercenary tycoon Yevgeny Prigozhin a “stab in the back”, vowed to punish those responsible. A tense standoff unfolded in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, where “an armed rebellion” by Prigozhin showed no sign of being quelled. Commenting on Putin’s televised address, Prigozhin, in an audio note, said that the president “was deeply mistaken” in calling him a traitor.
What’s the current status: The Wagner group chief has said that he is in Rostov-on-Don, in southern Russia, close to the Ukraine border, and that his forces have control of military facilities and the airfield there. He pledged to blockade Rostov and move on to Moscow if Russia’s Defence Minister and top general did not meet with him in the city. The Wagner group further informed that it had also taken control of Russian military facilities in the city of Voronezh, in southwestern Russia.
How did it all start? The conflict between Moscow’s military leadership and Prigozhin, the chief of private mercenary group Wagner, escalated into an open insurrection on Saturday. The Wagner chief accused Russia’s military leadership of killing a “huge amount” of his mercenary forces in a strike on a camp and vowed to retaliate. Security forces have been scrambled across western Russia as regional governors urged residents to stay off the roads, and a “counterterrorist operation regime” was declared in Moscow.
Belarus has reaffirmed allaince with Russia and released a statement amid the ongoing armed Mutiny raged by the Eagner mercenary army. The Security Council of Belarus said that Minsk remains an ally of Russia and internal disputes were “a gift to the collective West.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin called up his counterpart in Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has expressed support for the Russian leadership. Putin spoke to Uzbek, Belarus and Kazakhstan leaders earlier today. (Reuters)
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock spoke to her G7 counterparts regarding the ongoing militray crisis in Russia, said a spokesperson at the ministry and further added that the crisis team of the governement is also slated to meet.
Wagner chief Progozhin confirmed reports in the Russian media regarding the raid on his St. Petersburg office. He further said that the large amounts of cash seized suring the raid was meant for Wagner expenses. (Reuters)
Russian soldiers on Saturday set up a machine gun position on the southwest edge of Moscow, evident in photographs published by the a Russian newspaper.
Referring to the armed mutiny by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service Sergei Naryshkin, said that an attempt to “destabilise society and ignite a fratricidal civil war” had failed, reported TASS news agency
Wagner chief Yevgeny Progozhin said that his forces have been fired on by artillery and claims to have taken control of Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don without firing a single shot, reported Reuters.
As the Wagner mercenary group makes it way to Moscow, all flights from the Russian capital have been reportedly sold out, said The Guardian reported. As per reports in a German news magazine tickets for direct connections from Moscow to Tbilisi, Astana and Istanbul are no longer available.