- Russian President Vladimir Putin is starting to threaten a coup
- Wagner declared war on Moscow’s military leadership
- Russian military vehicles were spotted on the road to Moscow and Rostov-on-Don
Russian President Vladimir Putin is starting to threaten a coup. According to a report in the Daily Mail, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the boss of Russia’s private army ‘Wagner’, has declared war on Moscow’s military leadership. Along with this, Prigozhin has also claimed to march ‘unopposed’ on the city of Rostov. After which the fear of coup in Russia is increasing. Prigozhin began his extraordinary crackdown after vowing to fire Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and punish Russian military leaders. He accused these people of killing ‘hundreds’ of his mercenaries in airstrikes.
Prigozhin also claimed that top Russian military officials were lying to Vladimir Putin and hiding the bodies of more than 2,000 soldiers to cover up losses in Ukraine. According to the Daily Mail, Wagner’s army entered Rostov on Friday night. Prigozhin announced that he would take ‘all necessary measures’ to overthrow the country’s military leadership. He said ‘we will destroy whatever comes in our way… we are moving forward and will continue to the end’.
Off road tanks
Russian military vehicles (tanks and armored vehicles) were seen on the streets of Moscow and Rostov-on-Don, where government officials have asked residents to stay in their homes. Russia’s TASS news agency quoted a security service source as saying that security was increased at government buildings, transport facilities and other key locations in Moscow on Friday night.
Fully briefed Putin
A spokesman for Vladimir Putin said the Russian president had been informed of Prigozhin’s claim and “necessary measures are being taken”. He has not yet commented publicly on the mutiny. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement claiming that Prigozhin’s allegations were “not true”. The FSB security services previously said they had opened a criminal investigation against Prigozhin and demanded his arrest on charges of inciting an armed uprising. While realities on the ground remain unclear, it appears to be the biggest internal military crisis Putin has faced since ordering an all-out invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
