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Putin Vows To Do 'Everything To Protect The Country' Following Wagner Occupation Of Rostov-On-Don

By RFE/RL June 24, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to do "everything to protect the country" in the wake of reports that Wagner mercenary forces led by Yevgeny Prigozhin are occupying military facilities in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. Putin, addressing the nation on live television, described Wagner's actions as an "armed mutiny" and that "decisive action" would be taken to stabilize the situation. Putin said that Prigozhin, who earlier announced a "march of justice" to topple the Russian military leadership, had "betrayed" Russia out of "personal ambition."

Prigozhin announced on Telegram early on June 24 that his forces were occupying the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and control the southern Russian city's military sites and airport.

"We are inside the (military) headquarters. It is 7:30 a.m.," Prigozhin said in a video. "Military sites in Rostov, including an airport, are under control." Prigozhin added that aircraft participating in Russia's war against Ukraine were "leaving as normal" and that his forces had taken the airport "so that the attack aviation would not strike us, but strike Ukrainians."

Prigozhin said his forces crossed from Ukraine, where the private Wagner mercenary force has been heavily involved in fighting against Ukraine's military, into Russia and had faced no resistance from Russian conscripts it allegedly encountered.

Prigozhin said Wagner is not "fighting against children" but "will destroy anyone who stands in our way."

Videos posted on social media showed military vehicles, including tanks, on the streets of Rosto-on-Don and scenes of Wagner representatives allegedly meeting face-to-face with Russian military officials in the city.

Rostov-on-Don is a main logistical base for Russia's war operations in Ukraine. Prigozhin said on June 24 that his forces' presence there would not impede the Russian war effort in Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces recently launched a major counteroffensive to retake Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia.

The development comes after Prigozhin on June 22 suggested he had sent an armed convoy on a "march of justice" toward Moscow in an unlikely effort to topple the Russian military leadership.

Prigozhin said he was backed by 25,000 fighters, including Russian servicemen, and that their aim was to take down the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of staff of the Russian armed forces, Valery Gerasimov.

Local officials in Russia said on June 24 that a military convoy was on the main highway linking the southwestern part of Russia bordering Ukraine to Moscow, and warned residents to avoid it.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said he had put "anti-terror measures" into effect in the Russian capital, including increased traffic checks and restrictions on large events.

Mykhaylo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, described Prigozhin's actions as a "counterterrorist" operation that clearly exposed the simmering fued among Russia's leadership.

"The split between the elites is too obvious. Agreeing and pretending that everything is settled won't work," Podolyak wrote in a tweet on June 24. "Someone must definitely lose: either Prigozhin...or the collective 'anti-Prigozhin.'"

"Everything is just beginning in Russia," Podolyak added.

Late on June 23, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) launched a criminal probe after what it said was a "call for an armed mutiny" by Prigozhin, while a top Russian general called on Wagner forces to give up their opposition to the Russian military.

"In connection with these statements, Russia's FSB has opened a criminal case," the National Anti-Terror Committee said on June 23 in a statement carried by Russian news agencies. "We demand that unlawful actions be stopped immediately," the statement said.

General Sergei Surovikin, a deputy to Gerasimov, posted a video message on Telegram urging Wagner group fighters to return to their bases.

"I urge you to stop," he said. "The enemy is just waiting for the internal political situation to worsen in our country."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on June 23 Russian President Putin had been briefed about Prigozhin's comments and "necessary measures are being taken."

Prigozhin earlier accused the Russian Defense Ministry of launching rocket attacks on the rear camps of his forces in Ukraine using artillery and attack helicopters.

In a series of audio messages on his Telegram channel, Prigozhin said there were many victims in the ranks of his mercenary group but did not specify exactly where the strikes took place.

"Those who destroyed our lads, who destroyed the lives of many tens of thousands of Russian soldiers, will be punished. I ask that no one offer resistance," Prigozhin said. The Wagner chief, once seen as a close ally to Putin, added that it was "not a military coup" rather a "march of justice."

The Defense Ministry responded by saying that the statements "do not correspond to reality," calling them a "provocation."

With reporting by RFE/RL's Russian Service, AP, AFP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/wagner-prigozhin- mercenaries-occupying-russia/32473532.html

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Putin Vows To Do 'Everything To Protect The Country' Following Wagner Occupation Of Rostov-On-Don