President Vladimir Putin on Saturday vowed to defend Russia against an armed insurgency by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, which was leading his troops from Ukraine to a key city south of Moscow.
The uprising, which Putin described as a “stab in the back,” was the greatest threat to his leadership in over two decades in power.
The private army led by Prigozhin appears to control military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city 660 miles (over 1,000 kilometers) south of Moscow that is conducting Russian offensive operations in Ukraine, Britain’s Defense Ministry said in an intelligence briefing.
In his speech, Putin called the Prigozhin uprising, which he did not name, a “treason” and “treason.”
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“All those who prepared the uprising will inevitably be punished,” Putin said. “The armed forces and other government agencies have received the necessary orders.”
Prigozhin described himself as a patriot and said his fighters would not capitulate because “we do not want the country to live on in corruption, fraud and bureaucracy.”
“As for the betrayal of the motherland, the President was deeply mistaken. We are patriots of our homeland,” he said in an audio message on his Telegram channel.
In this handout photo from video released by the Russian Presidential Press Service, Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation on Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Moscow, Russia. Russian Presidential Press Service via AP
He said his fighters would not surrender at Putin’s request because “we don’t want the country to live on in corruption, fraud and bureaucracy.”
Prigozhin’s Wagner, a private mercenary army, fights alongside Russian troops in Ukraine. It wasn’t immediately clear what his goals were, but the uprising marks an escalation in Prigozhin’s struggle with Russian military leaders whom he accuses of botching the war in Ukraine and crippling his forces on the ground.
“This is not a military coup, but a march of justice,” Prigozhin said.
Prigozhin confirmed on Saturday that he and his troops had reached Rostov-on-Don after crossing the border from Ukraine. According to CBS News correspondent Ian Lee, there are reports that Wagner forces captured a second town halfway to Moscow, but Lee did not confirm which town it was.
He released a video of himself at Russia’s military headquarters in Rostov, claiming his forces had taken control of the airfield and other military installations in the city. Other videos posted on social media showed military vehicles, including tanks, on the streets.
Prigozhin said his forces did not face any resistance from young conscripts entering Russia and said his troops “did not fight children”.
“But we will crush anyone who stands in our way,” he said in a series of angry video and audio footage posted to social media beginning late Friday. “We’ll keep going and we’ll hold out until the end.”
Putin condemned the uprising, which comes at a time when Russia is “waging the toughest fight for its future” while Western governments are imposing sanctions on Moscow and arming Ukraine.
“The entire military, economic and information machinery of the West is directed against us,” Putin said.
Russian security services called for Prigozhin’s arrest after he called an armed uprising late Friday. The Kremlin also tightened security at key facilities across the country overnight. Moscow was under a state of emergency, and Putin has ordered anti-terrorist measures in several regions and given wide-ranging legal powers to law enforcement agencies.
Ukraine accuses mercenary groups of using banned weapons
It was not immediately clear how Prigozhin managed to get into the southern Russian city and how many troops he had with him.
Prigozhin said his goal was to punish Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu after Russian government forces attacked Wagner military camps in Ukraine with rockets, helicopter gunships and artillery.
Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, ordered the attacks after a meeting with Shoigu at which it was decided to crush Wagner, Prigozhin said. He said Wagner’s forces shot down a Russian military helicopter that was firing at a civilian convoy, but there was no independent confirmation.
Prigozhin said he had 25,000 troops under his command and urged the army not to resist.
A former convict, Prigozhin, 62, has long ties to the Russian leader and won lucrative jobs in the Kremlin, earning him the nickname “Putin’s cook.”
He attracted attention in the US when he and a dozen other Russian nationals and three Russian companies were accused of running a covert social media campaign aimed at fomenting discord in the run-up to Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory. He founded the Wagner mercenary group, which sent military contractors to Libya, Syria, several African countries, and finally Ukraine.
After Putin’s speech, in which the Russian leader did not mention any concrete steps to quell the insurgency, but rather called for unity in the face of the insurgency, officials and state media figures in the country sought to publicly reaffirm their loyalty to the Kremlin, urging Prigozhin must back down.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of Russia’s lower house, the State Duma, said that Duma deputies “support the consolidation of forces” and support Putin, adding that “Wagner fighters have to make the only right decision: with their people.” be on the side of the law to protect the security and future of the Motherland, to follow the orders of the Commander-in-Chief.”
In this handout photo from a video released by the Prigozhin Press Service, Yevgeny Prigozhin, owner of military company Wagner Group, records his video addresses in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Prigozhin Press Service via AP
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova echoed Volodin’s sentiments, saying in a Telegram post: “We have a supreme commander. Not two, not three. A.”
Ramzan Kadyrov, the strong leader of the Chechen region, who sided with Prigozhin in his criticism of the military leadership, also expressed his full support for “every word” of Putin.
“We have the commander-in-chief elected by the people, who knows the situation down to the smallest detail better than any strategist and businessman,” Kadyrov said. “The mutiny must be suppressed.”
While the outcome of the confrontation was still unclear, it appeared to further hamper Moscow’s war effort as Kiev forces probed Russian defenses in the early stages of a counteroffensive. The dispute, especially if Prigozhin wins, could also affect Putin and his ability to maintain a united front.
Wagner’s troops played a crucial role in Ukraine and managed to capture the eastern town of Bakhmut, where the bloodiest and longest battles took place. But Prigozhin increasingly criticizes Russia’s military leadership, accusing it of incompetence and the lack of weapons and ammunition for its troops.
Heavy military trucks and armored vehicles were sighted in several parts of central Moscow early on Saturday, and soldiers with assault rifles were on duty in front of the main building of the Defense Ministry. The area around the presidential administration near Red Square was closed and there were traffic delays.
But despite the increased military presence, downtown bars and restaurants were packed with customers. At a club near the FSB headquarters, people were dancing in the street near the entrance.
Fighters and military vehicles of private mercenary group Wagner are deployed on a street near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023. STRINGER/ Portal
Prigozhin, whose dispute with the defense ministry dates back years, has refused to comply with demands that military contractors sign contracts with the ministry before July 1. In a statement on Friday, he said he was ready to find a compromise, but “they did it in a treacherous way” betrayed us.
“Today they launched a missile attack on our rear camps and a large number of our comrades were killed,” Prigozhin said. The Ministry of Defense denied an attack on the Wagner camps.
“The evil that embodies the country’s military leadership must be stopped,” he cried.
Colonel-General Sergey Surovikin, the deputy commander of the Russian force group fighting in Ukraine, urged Wagner forces to halt any moves against the army, saying this would play into the hands of Russia’s enemies who are “waiting to wait.” . Aggravation of our domestic political situation.”
In Washington, the Institute for the Study of War said: “The violent overthrow of Putin loyalists like Shoigu and Gerasimov would irreparably damage the stability of Putin’s supposed power grab.”
Speaking at the White House, National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said, “We are monitoring the situation and will consult with allies and partners on these developments.”
Fighters of private mercenary group Wagner are seen on a tank on a street near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia June 24, 2023. STRINGER/ Portal
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