Rebellion in Russia: Commander of the Wagner force stopped advancing to Moscow

Rebellion in Russia. The commander of the Wagner force, Yevgeny Prigozhin, confirms that he ordered his forces to retreat back to their bases "to prevent bloodshed". In a voice message he published, Prigozhin said: "We have reached a distance of 200 kilometers from Moscow, without spilling a single drop of blood of our warriors. Now the moment has come when blood can be spilled. When we realize the strength of the responsibility, we turn our convoys on their tracks, and return to the bases according to the plan".

Before that, the office of the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, issued a statement according to which the commander of the Wagner force, Yevgeny Prigozhin, "accepted the president's proposal to stop the advance of the Wagner forces on Russian territory and to take additional measures to prevent the escalation of the situation." The announcement also states that "as of now, there is a worthwhile and completely acceptable agreement on the table, which includes security guarantees for Wagner's fighters." The message said that the president of Belarus reached an understanding with Prigozhin "that a bloody massacre in Russia is unacceptable".

The mercenaries of the "Wagner group", who crossed the border from Ukraine and took over Russian army installations on Saturday, continue to advance towards the Russian capital and cause panic in the country. The head of the "Wagner Group", Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced this morning that he arrived in the southern Rostov district together with 25,000 fighters, with the aim of deposing the heads of the army - Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov. "We are ready to die," he said.
As part of Prigozhin's rebellion in the Russian army, because of the conduct of the war in Ukraine, this morning he took over the army headquarters in the city of Rostov-on-Don - which is about 1,000 km from Moscow, and the other military facilities in the city. He threatened that if Shoigu and Gerasimov did not come to the meeting With him, his men will continue to advance towards Moscow. In recent hours, photos of "Wagner" fighters have been published in the streets of Rostov-on-Don, while other fighters are taking part in a convoy that is making its way north, on the highway that leads from the border of Ukraine to the Russian capital. In the afternoon, it was reported that the convoy is already at a distance 360 km from Moscow, and that it has about 5,000 fighters.
The convoy of the "Wagner group", it is not yet clear how many of the fighters who crossed the border are in it, advanced from Rostov to the Voronezh region and arrived in the Lipetsk region this evening. According to reports, it also took over military installations in the Voronezh region. Russian army helicopters opened fire on the convoy of mercenaries, and the Russian forces also blew up a fuel depot in the capital of the district - the city of Voronezh - to prevent Wagner's men from taking it over.
The governor of the Liptsk region, Igor Artamonov, confirmed that the "Wagner group" had arrived in the region, and called on the residents to stay in their homes, to leave the house only in emergencies and to avoid traveling on the roads. "The authorities are taking all the necessary steps to maintain the peace of the population. The situation is under control," said the governor.
The convoy of "Wagner" advances on the M4 highway, which reaches the Russian capital. The Russian army was already preparing for the arrival of the rebels, and in the afternoon Russian soldiers were seen setting up machine gun positions in southern Moscow, near the highway that was blocked to traffic. After the security around government buildings in Moscow was already increased at night, this morning an "anti-terrorist regime" was announced in the capital city, an announcement that will provide the authorities with special emergency powers - and they have already announced the cancellation of all mass events there.
The BBC reported on the evacuation of public buildings in Moscow ahead of the imminent arrival of "Wagner" fighters, including museums near the Kremlin. Security forces set up roadblocks at the entrance to the city, and police officers were seen wearing protective vests. In an update that indicates panic in Russia, the German newspaper "Der Spiegel" reported at noon that the flight tickets from Moscow to Tbilisi, Astana and Istanbul have sold out.
The mayor of Moscow, Sergey Sobyanin, said this evening that in order to "reduce the risks" this weekend will be longer than usual, and next Monday will also be a rest day when workplaces will be closed. "The situation is difficult," said the mayor, calling on residents to stay in their homes as much as possible and avoid traveling around the capital.
Several regions in Russia have declared heightened security alert following the dramatic events, which constitute the first rebellion in the security forces since the Chechen war two decades ago. The governor of Kaluga Oblast, which borders Moscow, announced that road traffic will be restricted in areas bordering the neighboring Oblasts of Tula, Bryansk, Oryol and Smolensk. At the moment there is no evidence that "Wagner" people are in Kaluga.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated at noon that in light of the developments, Putin is at his official residence in Moscow. However, according to some reports, his plane took off in the afternoon from Moscow and flew in a northwesterly direction. According to the FlightRadar website, the plane arrived in the Tver district - 190 km from Moscow, where one of the president's residences is located. There is no way to verify that Putin was on the plane. Peskov, as mentioned, said he "works from the Kremlin."
The rebellion of the "Wagner" people led by the army is considered the most significant threat to Putin since he came to power in 1999. In the speech that the president made today, Putin compared the rebellion to the civil war that was in Russia more than a century ago. Prigozhin emphasized that he was not interested in a coup but in removing the army chiefs, but Putin said that the very existence of Russia was under threat. "We are fighting for the lives and safety of our citizens, for our sovereignty and independence and for the right to remain Russia - a country with a history of a thousand years."
The head of the "Wagner Group" clarified that his goal is not to lead a "military coup" but to bring about the removal of the army leaders, with whom he has been in conflict for a long time. In the last few hours, Prigozhin and his men are trying to gather the support of the people in their fight against the army. Prigozhin said that the Russian people support him, and called the convoy of his men to Moscow "a march for justice". A "Wagner" fighter in St. Petersburg said that the group had declared a "general mobilization", and accused the Russian Ministry of Defense of being responsible for the current crisis.
Prigozhin, who has been an ally of Putin, attacked him today for the first time after the president accused him of treason. "No one will turn himself in at the president's request, we do not want the country to continue living in corruption and lies. We are patriots, and those who oppose us are the ones who unite behind bastards," Prigozhin stated, and later said that the Russian people support him and the "March for Justice." In the afternoon, a Russian lawmaker told the state news agency Tass that Russia is ready to grant amnesty to the "Wagner" fighters in return for their surrender.
"The 'Wagner' fighters can still lay down their weapons and avoid punishment given their achievements during the special military operation in Ukraine, but they need to do it quickly," said the Russian lawmaker.
Senior Russian officials today declared their support for Putin and said that Prigozhin's attempt to lead Russia into a civil war failed. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said this evening that Russia will not allow the rebellion of the "Wagner Group" to cause a coup or an international crisis.
Against the backdrop of the abandonment of the Russian mercenaries, Kiev announced further achievements in its counter-offensive. The Ukrainian announcement said that the forces liberated territories in the city of Krasnokhurivka in the Donetsk region.