Forces from the mercenary Wagner group have abruptly stopped their advance on Moscow as Putin gives the man in charge of the rebellion one option.
Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin will flee to Belarus in a deal agreed with the Kremlin after standing down his fighters less than 200 kilometres from Moscow.
The billonaire warlord will leave Russia as part of a deal to end his uprising and charges against him will be dropped, the Kremlin said.
Forces from the mercenary group have abruptly stopped their advance on the Russian capital, Moscow, after rebelling against Vladimir Putin’s government.
Prigozhin announced he was turning his forces back from their march towards Moscow on Saturday evening, local time.
“So that Russian blood is not spilled, we return our columns and return to the field camps,” Prigozhin said on Telegram.
“They wanted to disband Wagner. We set out on June 23 for the ‘March of Justice’. In a day we marched just short of 200km from Moscow. During this time, we have not shed a single drop of blood of our fighters.
“Now is the moment when blood can be shed. Realising the responsibility for the fact that Russian blood will be shed, we turn our columns around and leave in the opposite direction to the field camps, according to the plan.”
A picture shared on Telegram reportedly shows the Wagner boss leaving Russia’s military HQ. Picture: Twitter
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Warlord exiled to Belarus, mercenary forces retreat
Warlord Prigozhin will flee to Belarus in a deal agreed with the Kremlin after standing down his fighters on the outskirts of Moscow.
Prigozhin’s forces have also begun to pull out of the Rostov region and Russia’s military HQ in a dramatic turnaround.
It comes after Putin’s pal Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko claimed he had brokered a deal with the Wagner Group.
“Yevgeny Prigozhin accepted the proposal of the President of Belarus to stop the movement of armed persons of the Wagner company on the territory of Russia and take further steps to de-escalate tensions,” said a spokesman for Lukashenko.
The terms of the deal appeared to be confirmed by the Kremlin after the announcement that Prigozhin would leave for Belarus and would not face charges over the attempted coup.
Fighters who took part alongside him would not be prosecuted while Wagner troops who did not march would sign contracts with the defence ministry, it said.
Videos showed forces in Rostov cheering after the apparent de-escalation while residents shouted support for the mercenary group.
The situation on the ground however remains unclear amid misinformation on both sides.
‘Counter-terrorist regime’ declared in Moscow
The mayor of Russia’s capital, Moscow, has declared a “counter-terrorist regime” in the city.
“The situation is difficult,” said Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
“In order to minimise risks, I, withini the framework of the operational headquarters, decided to declare Monday a non-working day, with the exception of authorities and enterprises of a continuous cycle, the military-industrial complex, (and) city services.
“I ask you to refrain from travelling around the city as much as possible. It is possible that traffic will be blocked on certain areas and on certain roads.”
‘Nuclear weapons under the control of bandits’
Former Russian president and prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, an ally of Putin, has warned that allowing nuclear weapons to fall into the hands of “bandits” would be catastrophic.
“The history of mankind hasn’t yet seen the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons under control by bandits,” he told journalists, according to The Guardian.
“Such a crisis will not be limited by just one country’s borders. The world will be put on the brink of destruction.
“We won’t allow such a turn of events.”
Medvedev is currently the deputy chairman of Russia’s security council.
“The development of events shows that the actions of the people who organized the military rebellion fully fit into the scheme of a staged coup d’état,” Medvedev said, according to RIA Novosti.
“The current armed rebellion is a well thought out and planned operation, the purpose of which is to seize power in the country.”
‘Path of evil’: Ukraine reacts
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said the turmoil in Russia exposes the country’s “weakness” as its invasion of Ukraine continues to stall.
“The longer Russia keeps its mercenaries and troops on our land, the more chaos, pain and problems it will have for itself later,” he said.
“Everyone who chooses the path of evil destroys himself.”
Wagner convoy rushes towards Moscow
Wagner forces have reportedly entered the southwestern Lipetsk region as they make their way north to Moscow on the M-4 highway.
Authorities in Lipetsk urged residents to stay at home on Saturday.
“To ensure law and order and the safety of the citizens of the Lipetsk region, the operational headquarters of the region asks residents without urgent need not to leave their homes and refrain from any travel by personal or public transport,” the press service of the regional government said in a statement on social media.
“Hardware of the Wagner mercenary group is moving across the territory of the Lipetsk region,” regional governor Igor Artamonov said on Telegram.
“I remind you that residents are strongly recommended not to leave their houses or to make trips on any mode of transport.”
Explosions at Rostov military HQ
At least two explosions and gunfire have been reported at the Wagner-controlled Southern Military District Headquarters in Rostov, RT reports.
People were filmed running away from the scene.
Video shows alleged strike on Wagner convoy
Video posted to Telegram purportedly shows the moment the Wagner convoy was hit by a Russian air strike on the M-4 highway to Moscow in the Voronezh region earlier this morning.
Another video shows a Russian helicopter successfully deploying countermeasures against a Wagner surface-to-air missile.
Chechen leader condemns ‘vile betrayal’
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has thrown his support behind Vladimir Putin and condemned the “treacherous march” of Yevgeny Prigozhin, warning of “harsh measures” to put down the rebellion.
“Whatever goals you are given, no matter what promises you are told — the security of the state and the cohesion of Russian society at such a moment is above all else!” he wrote on Telegram, addressing the Wagner fighters.
“See how our enemies in the West are taking advantage of this situation … These are the expected consequences of Prigozhin’s treacherous march.”
He slammed Prigozhin’s actions as a “vile betrayal”.
“I have repeatedly warned that war is not the time to voice personal grievances and resolve disputes in our rear,” he said.
“The rear must always be calm and reliable. Imagine how the guys in the trenches feel now, in the face of which there is an enemy, and behind their backs a treacherous adventure. We are talking about stability, about the cohesion of the state, about the security of citizens.”
Kadyrov, the former rebel turned Kremlin ally, added he “fully” supports Putin and concluded, “The rebellion must be crushed, and if this requires harsh measures, then we are ready!”
Massive fire as oil depot blown up
An oil depot and refinery has been blown up in the city of Voronezh, sending huge columns of smoke into the sky.
Multiple reports and videos now suggest the depot was attacked by Russian helicopters, likely to prevent its capture by Wagner forces advancing from the south.
Wagner chief says Putin ‘deeply mistaken’
Yevgeny Prigozhin says Russian President Vladimir Putin was “deeply mistaken” in calling rebelling Wagner fighters “traitors” and ruled out surrender.
“On treason of the motherland — the President is deeply wrong. We are patriots of our motherland,” Prigozhin, who launched a mutiny overnight, said in an audio message on Telegram.
“Nobody plans to turn themselves in at the request of the President, the FSB [security service] or anyone else.”
Photos show downed Russian helicopter
Photos on social media purportedly show the wreckage of a Russian helicopter downed by Wagner.
The group said this morning it had shot down three helicopters.
The Fighterbomber Telegram channel reports two Mi-8 MTPR Electronic Warfare helicopters and one Mi-35 gunship helicopter were shot down.
Russian army carrying out ‘combat measures’
The governor of Russia’s southern region of Voronezh confirmed on Saturday that Russian military were taking necessary measures to suppress an attempt by the Wagner mercenary group to topple the country’s senior military leadership.
“As part of the counterterrorist operation on the territory of the Voronezh region, the armed forces of the Russian Federation are carrying out necessary operational and combat measures,” the official, Alexander Gusev, said in a statement on social media.
Occupied regions back Putin
The Russian-installed heads of Ukrainian regions occupied by Moscow on Saturday expressed support for President Vladimir Putin as Russia faces an extraordinary mutiny by mercenaries from the Wagner group.
“The Kherson region and the people of Kherson completely support our President!” the Russian-installed head of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region said on Telegram.
The Kremlin-appointed head of the part of the Zaporizhzhia region controlled by Moscow, Yevgeny Balitsky, said the territory was “with the President”.
Clashes on road to Moscow
There are now multiple reports of heavy fighting between the Russian military and Wagner forces in the Voronezh region.
A Wagner column moving on the highway to Moscow has reportedly been targeted by air strikes.
France, Germany watching ‘closely’
Emmanuel Macron is closely monitoring the situation in Russia after the Wagner mercenary group launched an armed mutiny against the Kremlin’s forces, the French president’s office said on Saturday.
“The president is following the situation very closely. We remain focused on supporting Ukraine,” the Elysee said.
Germany also said it was “closely following” events in Russia.
‘We will have a new president’
A reportedly Wagner-linked Telegram channel has posted a defiant message in response to Vladimir Putin’s remarks.
“Putin made the wrong choice,” the channel wrote. “So much the worse for him. Soon we will have a new president.”
‘Treason’: Vladimir Putin speaks
Vladimir Putin has declared Wagner’s actions “treason” and a “stab in the back” to Russia, saying everyone involved will be punished harshly.
In a televised address at around 10am local time, he appealed to “those who, by deceit or threats, were dragged into a criminal adventure, pushed onto the path of a serious crime — an armed rebellion”.
“Today Russia is waging a hard struggle for its future, repelling the aggression of neo-Nazis and their masters,” he said.
“Virtually the entire military, economic and information machine of the West is directed against us … This battle, when the fate of our people is being decided, requires the unification of all forces, unity, consolidation and responsibility … This is a stab in the back of our country and our people.”
Putin vowed to “protect both our people and our statehood from any threats, including from internal betrayal”.
“And what we are faced with is precisely a betrayal — exorbitant ambitions and personal interests led to treason,” he said.
“I repeat, any internal turmoil is a deadly threat to our statehood, to us as a nation. This is a blow to Russia, to our people. And our actions to protect the Fatherland from such a threat will be tough. All those who deliberately embarked on the path of betrayal, who prepared an armed rebellion, embarked on the path of blackmail and terrorist methods, will suffer inevitable punishment, will answer both before the law and before our people.”
Putin added that “decisive actions will also be taken to stabilise the situation in Rostov-on-Don” but conceded “it remains difficult — in fact, the work of civil and military authorities is blocked”.
“The one who organised and prepared the military rebellion, who raised arms against his comrades-in-arms, betrayed Russia … they will answer for it,” he said. “And I urge those who are being drawn into this crime not to make a fatal and tragic, unique mistake, to make the only right choice — to stop participating in criminal acts.”
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