Armed rebels with the Wagner Group are moving north through Russian territory and appear to be heading for Moscow, according to multiple reports.
Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is leading what he calls a “march for justice” to oust Russia’s military leadership. Overnight, the mercenary group’s forces seized control of Russian military facilities in Rostov-on-Don, a city of more than a million people near the border with Ukraine. The seizure is significant — Rostov is home to the Russian military headquarters overseeing the military supply line fueling Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
🚨BREAKING: Reports of Wagner forces have ENTERED MOSCOW OBLAST, being 2 hours away from Moscow City.
Notes: Below video is UNVERIFIED, and we could not CONFIRM Wagner is in Moscow Oblast, however based on all the reports we're getting, I am confident tweeting this and stating… pic.twitter.com/LjqPXeUwp6
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 24, 2023
Further Wagner troops are reported to be moving through Vorenezh Oblast, a city about 300 miles north of Rostov-on-Don. An intelligence update from the U.K. Ministry of Defense indicated Wagner units are “almost certainly aiming to get to Moscow.”
“With very limited evidence of fighting between Wagner and Russian security forces, some have likely remained passive, acquiescing to Wagner,” the Ministry of Defense said.
Reuters separately reported — citing a Russian security source — that Wagner fighters have seized military facilities in the city of Voronezh, and the governor there has said operations are underway to put down the mutiny. Reuters could not independently confirm the situation there.
A Wagner convoy with armed vehicles was also seen traveling north on the M4 motorway, which links Voronezh and Moscow in the Lipetsk region, the BBC reported. The regional governor, Igor Artamonov, said Wagner is moving “equipment” in the region and has asked residents to stay home and avoid traveling.
“Law enforcement agencies and authorities … are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the population. The situation is under control,” Igor Artamonov said per the BBC.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to put down the rebellion. In a televised address Saturday morning, Putin said the mutiny amounted to “a deadly threat to our statehood,” vowing there will be “tough actions” in response.
“It is a blow to Russia, to our people,” Putin said. “And our actions to defend the Fatherland against such a threat will be harsh.”
Prigozhin, a longtime Putin ally, rejected the Russian president’s accusations of treason and claimed his forces were fighting “corruption, deceit and bureaucracy” in the Russian military.
