Russian mercenary boss Prigozhin in standoff with Russian army amid ‘armed mutiny’ By Reuters

By Andrew Osborn and Kevin Liffey

LONDON (Reuters) -Rebellious Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin mentioned on Saturday he had taken management of the Russian metropolis of Rostov-on-Don as a part of an try and oust the army management amid what the authorities mentioned was an armed mutiny.

Prigozhin demanded that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Common Workers, whom he has pledged to oust over what he says is their disastrous management of the warfare in opposition to Ukraine, come to see him in Rostov, a metropolis close to the Ukrainian border.

He had earlier mentioned that he had 25,000 fighters transferring in direction of Moscow to “restore justice” and had alleged, with out offering proof, that the army had killed an enormous variety of fighters from his Wagner non-public militia in an air strike, one thing the defence ministry denied.

“Those that destroyed our lads, who destroyed the lives of many tens of 1000’s of Russian troopers, might be punished. I ask that nobody provide resistance…,” he mentioned in considered one of many frenzied audio messages.

“There are 25,000 of us and we’re going to work out why chaos is going on within the nation,” he mentioned, promising to destroy any checkpoints or air forces that received in Wagner’s manner.

Prigozhin, whose Wagner militia spearheaded the seize of the Ukrainian metropolis of Bakhmut final month, has for months been overtly accusing Shoigu and Gerasimov of incompetence and of denying Wagner ammunition and assist in its battles in Ukraine.

The dramatic flip, with many particulars unclear, appeared like the largest home disaster President Vladimir Putin has confronted since he ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine – one thing he known as a “particular army operation” – in February final 12 months.

Putin was as a result of handle the nation quickly, the RIA information company cited the Kremlin as saying on Saturday.

Russia’s FSB safety had earlier opened a legal case in opposition to Prigozhin for armed mutiny and had mentioned that his statements have been “requires the beginning of an armed civil battle on Russian territory and his actions a ‘stab within the again’ of Russian servicemen preventing pro-fascist Ukrainian forces”.

It added: “We urge the … fighters to not make irreparable errors, to cease any forcible actions in opposition to the Russian folks, to not perform the legal and traitorous orders of Prigozhin, to take measures to detain him.”

The state information company TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that every one of Russia’s important safety companies have been reporting to Putin “around the clock.”

Safety was being tightened in Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin mentioned on his Telegram channel.

In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden was briefed on the state of affairs, a White Home spokesperson mentioned.

On Friday, Prigozhin had appeared to cross a brand new line in his more and more vitriolic feud with the ministry, saying that Putin’s acknowledged rationale for invading Ukraine 16 months in the past was based mostly on lies concocted by the military’s prime brass.

“The warfare was wanted … in order that Shoigu might develop into a marshal … in order that he might get a second ‘Hero’ [of Russia] medal,” Prigozhin mentioned in a video clip.

“The warfare wasn’t wanted to demilitarise or denazify Ukraine,” he mentioned, referring to Putin’s justifications for the warfare.

About 2 a.m. (2300 GMT), Prigozhin posted a message on the Telegram app saying his forces have been in Rostov and able to “go all the best way” in opposition to the highest brass and destroy anybody who stood of their manner.

About 5 a.m. (0200 GMT), the administration of the Voronezh area, on the M-4 motorway between the regional capital Rostov-on-Don and Moscow, mentioned on Telegram {that a} army convoy was on the freeway and urged residents to keep away from utilizing it.

Unverified footage posted on social media confirmed a convoy of various army autos, together with not less than one tank and one armoured automobile on flatbed vans. It was not clear the place they have been, or whether or not the lined vans within the convoy contained fighters. A few of the autos have been flying the Russian flag.

Footage on channels based mostly in Rostov-on-Don confirmed armed males in army uniform skirting the regional police headquarters within the metropolis on foot, in addition to tanks positioned outdoors the headquarters of the Southern Army District.

Reuters confirmed the areas proven however couldn’t decide when the footage was shot.

MILITARY CONVOY

Prigozhin denied that he was attempting to stage a army coup.

He mentioned he had led his fighters out of Ukraine to Rostov, the place a video posted by a pro-Wagner Telegram channel confirmed him, seemingly relaxed, conversing with two generals on the headquarters of Russia’s big Southern Army District.

The video confirmed him telling the generals: “Now we have arrived right here, we need to obtain the chief of the final employees and Shoigu. Until they arrive, we’ll be right here, we’ll blockade town of Rostov and head for Moscow.”

That gave the impression to be a reference to a army convoy attempting to make a 1,200-km (750-mile) drive in direction of Moscow, ostensibly to topple the army management.

Russian native officers mentioned a army convoy was certainly on the principle motorway linking the southern a part of European Russia with Moscow, and warned residents to keep away from it.

Military Lieutenant-Common Vladimir Alekseyev – who was later to seem with Prigozhin within the video from Rostov-on-Don – issued a video attraction asking Prigozhin to rethink his actions.

“Solely the president has the precise to nominate the highest management of the armed forces, and you are attempting to encroach on his authority,” he mentioned.

Military Common Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, whom Prigozhin has praised previously, mentioned in a video that “the enemy is simply ready for our inside political state of affairs to deteriorate”.

“Earlier than it’s too late … you will need to undergo the need and order of the folks’s president of the Russian Federation. Cease the columns and return them to their everlasting bases,” he mentioned.

An unverified video on a Telegram channel near Wagner confirmed the purported scene of an air strike in opposition to Wagner forces. It confirmed a forest the place small fires have been burning and bushes appeared to have been damaged by drive. There gave the impression to be one physique, however no extra direct proof of any assault.

It carried the caption: “A missile assault was launched on the camps of PMC (Personal Army Firm) Wagner. Many victims. In response to eyewitnesses, the strike was delivered from the rear, that’s, it was delivered by the army of the Russian Ministry of Defence.”