Russia coup: Moscow tense as Wagner launches rebellion against Russian army

It comes after Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin launched a rebellion against the Russian army.

It’s a dramatic escalation of infighting between the mercenary force and the leaders of Russia’s army.

Russian news agency Tass reported that counter-terrorism measures were in effect in the Moscow region, with increased car inspections on highways leading south, citing an announcement from Moscow’s Governor Andrey Vorobyov.

He also urged people not to travel to southern parts of the Moscow region and outside the region.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has also announced increased security measures.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Federal Security Service has announced a criminal case over charges of “organisation of armed mutiny” against Wagner boss Prigozhin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has just now delivered an address, calling the rebellion “treason”.

He said military forces had been marshalled and the Wagner forces would be dealt with harshly.

Summary of the situation in Russia

• The conflict between Wagner and Russia erupted this morning when Prigozhin accused Russia’s military of striking a Wagner military camp and killing a “huge amount” of his forces.

• Prigozhin is demanding the removal of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.

• Wagner forces have crossed into Russia with the aim of toppling Moscow’s military leadership. Prigozhin says he and his 25,000 fighters are “ready to die”.

• Russian authorities say security had been tightened in several regions and the mayor of Moscow has announced that “anti-terrorist” measures are being taken in the capital.

• Wagner troops have crossed into Russia’s Rostov region. Prigozhin says military sites in Rostov-on-Don are under the control of his group. The area is a key logistic base for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Extraordinary images in Russia

As Wagner forces take control of key sites in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, incredible images have emerged.

Video footage showed Prigozhin at the Southern Military Command Headquarters of the city.

Incredibly, street cleaners were also seen turning up to work in Rostov as tanks rolled past in the background.

Missile strikes

The extraordinary developments came after Prigozhin accused Moscow of targeting his forces with missile strikes that he said killed “a huge number of our fighters”.

“The council of commanders of PMC Wagner has made a decision — the evil that the military leadership of the country brings must be stopped,” he said in a series of furious audio messages released by a spokesman.

He warned Russians against resisting his forces and called on them to join him.

“We need to put an end to this mess,” he said, adding, “this is not a military coup, but a march of justice”.

In a statement, Russia’s Federal Security Service said: “Prigozhin’s statements and actions are in fact a call to start an armed civil conflict on the territory of the Russian Federation and a stab in the back to Russian servicemen fighting pro-fascist Ukrainian forces”.

While Prigozhin’s outfit has spearheaded much of Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, he has in recent months engaged in a bitter feud with Moscow’s military leadership and has repeatedly blamed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, for his fighters’ deaths.

‘Urge you to stop’

The Russian defence ministry denied Prigozhin’s claims of an attack on his forces, saying the statements “do not correspond to reality”.

It later said Ukrainian troops were taking advantage of the infighting to ready an assault near the east Ukraine hotspot of Bakhmut.

A prominent Russian general urged Prigozhin to call off efforts to remove the defence ministry leadership.

“I urge you to stop,” Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russia’s aerospace forces, said in a highly unusual video address.

“Before it is too late, it is necessary… to obey the will and order of the popularly elected President of the Russian Federation”.

Anti-Kremlin figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky, however, urged Russians to support Prigozhin, saying it was acceptable to back “even the devil” in taking on the Kremlin.

Washington-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War said the Wagner chief’s attempt to force a leadership change in the defence ministry “is unlikely to succeed” given that Surovikin had denounced his call for rebellion.

Kyiv’s defence ministry said it was monitoring the situation. Ukraine was also on high alert after a fresh barrage of Russian missiles Saturday, with casualties and damage reported in Kyiv and the central city of Dnipro.

US President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation in Russia and Washington “will be consulting with allies and partners on these developments”, National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said.

On Friday, Prigozhin said Moscow’s forces were retreating in Ukraine’s east and south following the start of Kyiv’s counteroffensive early this month. That directly contradicted Putin’s account that Ukraine was suffering “catastrophic” losses and that there was a lull in fighting.

“We are washing ourselves in blood,” Prigozhin said.

“No one is bringing reserves. What they tell us is the deepest deception,” he added, referring to the Russian military and political leadership.

Questioning military operation

After years of operating in the shadows, Prigozhin has now admitted to running the elusive mercenary group Wagner and even interfering in US elections.

His forces, bolstered by tens of thousands of prison recruits, played a central role in Russia’s capture of the town of Bakhmut in the eastern region of Donetsk, the longest and bloodiest battle of the conflict.

However, this week he accused Moscow’s top brass of deceiving Russians about the offensive in Ukraine.

“Why did the special military operation begin?” he said. “The war was needed for the self-promotion of a bunch of bastards.” Prigozhin rose from a modest background to become part of the inner circle around Putin.

He spent nine years in prison in the final period of the USSR after being convicted of fraud and theft. In the chaos of the 1990s, he began a moderately successful business selling hot dogs.

From there he fell into the restaurant business and opened a luxury location in Saint Petersburg whose customers included Putin, then making the transition from working in the KGB to local politics.

In recent months, Prigozhin has become embroiled in a bitter power struggle with the defence ministry, accusing the military of attempting to “steal” his victories in Ukraine.

– with AFP