Russia accused the head of the powerful mercenary group Wagner of mounting an armed uprising and ordered his arrest as the growing animosity between rival Kremlin camps over the war in Ukraine spilled into open conflict.
The Wagner group chief said they are stopping their advance to Moscow to avoid "spilling blood". He had vowed Saturday to take all necessary steps to topple the country's military leadership in Moscow, saying his forces would "destroy everything" in their way.
"We are going onwards and we will go to the end," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a new audio message after vowing to sideline Russia's military leadership.
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin earlier claimed his fighters captured the army HQ in Russia's Rostov-on-Don "without firing a single shot" and claimed to have the support of locals. The Wagner group was said to be "moving across" Lipetsk, a town 400 km south of Moscow, but stopped their movement 200 km away from the capital city.
Here are the Live Updates on Wagner Group's 'Armed Mutiny':
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, staged a revolt against Russia after claiming the Russian army deliberately attacked his forces. Prigozhin demanded justice and that took the form of an armed insurrection.
President Vladimir Putin has long profited from the actions of the Wagner mercenary group, but the mutiny led by its chief Yevgeny Prigozhin presents the Russian strongman with a challenge that could irreparably damage his authority, analysts say.
The chief of the rebel Wagner mercenary force today left Russia after calling off his troops' advance on Saturday, easing the country's most serious security crisis in decades. Russia said that he won't face any charges.
"A Wagner column left Rostov and headed to their field camps," governor Vasily Golubev said on Telegram. On Saturday they seized control of a key military base there.
Russia News Live: Minsk said on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko after the chief of Wagner announced he was turning around his forces.
"The President of Belarus informed the President of Russia in detail about the results of negotiations with the leadership of PMC Wagner," Lukashenko's press service said in a statement, adding Putin "thanked his Belarusian colleague."
Latvia is closely following the developing situation in Russia and exchanging information with allies
- Edgars Rinkēvičs (@edgarsrinkevics) June 24, 2023
Border security has been strengthened, visa or border entry from Russians leaving Russia due to current events won't be considered
No direct threat to Latvia at this time
President Vladimir Putin vowed on Saturday to crush what he called an armed mutiny after rebellious mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had taken control of a southern city.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 24 June 2023.
- Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) June 24, 2023
Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/K6An5jd2B8
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/M3E5L0EHLB
Kyiv on Saturday said events were "just beginning" in Russia, as Russian Wagner mercenaries crossed from occupied Ukraine into Russia to stage a rebellion, 16 months into the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine.
As Russias disastrous war in Ukraine continues, another rant by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the bombastic chief of the paramilitary Wagner group, has laid bare the power struggle at the top of Russias military leadership.
Russia has ordered the arrest of the chief of the powerful mercenary group Wagner after he called for an armed uprising against the country's military. The move comes as growing animosity between rival Kremlin camps over the war in Ukraine.
"All of us are ready to die. All 25,000, and then another 25,000," Yevgeny Prigozhin, 62, said in an audio message, after earlier accusing the Russian top brass of launching strikes against his men.