The leader of the paramilitary group Wagner Evguéni Prigojine, who went into rebellion against the Russian command, said on Saturday June 24 that he was at army headquarters in Rostov, the nerve center of operations in Ukraine, and controlled several military sites. “We are at HQ, it’s 7:30 a.m.,” Yevgeny Prigojine said in a video on Telegram. “The military sites in Rostov are under control, including the airfield”. In Russia, the “anti-terrorist operation regime” has been established in Moscow and its region, the National Anti-Terrorist Committee announced on Saturday. And the army has promised to “guarantee the safety” of Wagner’s fighters if they end their rebellion.
Evgueni Prigojine, against whom the Russian general prosecutor’s office announced the opening of an investigation for “armed mutiny”, went into rebellion with the 25,000 men claimed by his group, after accusing the regular army of having bombarded his troops. Authorities have tightened security measures in Moscow and several other regions of Russia. “We continue, we will go to the end,” Evguéni Prigojine launched in an audio message on Telegram. “We will destroy everything that gets in our way.”
11:21 a.m .: Leaders of both houses of parliament call for support for Putin
Leaders of both houses of parliament in Russia have called for support for President Vladimir Putin who is facing an armed rebellion from the paramilitary group Wagner.
“Deputies of the State Duma (…) support the consolidation of forces and support for President Vladimir Putin, the Commander-in-Chief,” Lower House Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on Telegram. “The strength” of Russia lies in “unity (…) and our historical intolerance for betrayals and provocations”, added the president of the upper house, Valentina Matvienko.
11:12 a.m .: The Russian army carries out “combat” actions in the Vorone region
The Russian army is carrying out “combat” operations in the Voronezh region, bordering Ukraine and located some 600 km south of Moscow, local authorities reported, in the midst of an armed rebellion by the paramilitary group Wagner.
“As part of the anti-terrorist operation on the territory of the Voronezh region, the armed forces of the Russian Federation are carrying out necessary operational and combat actions,” regional governor Alexander Gusev said on Telegram. . Voronezh is about halfway between Moscow and the city of Rostov (south), where Wagner claimed the first seizures of military infrastructure early Saturday.
11:02 am: Ramzan Kadyrov declares his loyalty to Putin
On his Telegram channel, the President of the Republic of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov said: “Here is my position on this despicable BREAKING. What is happening is a STAB IN THE BACK and a real military rebellion. The war does not This is not the time to settle personal scores behind the front lines. (…) This is a challenge to our state, and against this challenge we must all rally around our national leader.”
10:51 a.m .: Russian occupation officials in Ukraine express support for Putin
Russian occupation officials in Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims should be annexed have expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is facing an armed rebellion from the paramilitary group Wagner. Leaders installed by Russia in Donetsk and Lugansk regions (east), as well as Zaporizhia and Kherson (south) said in separate statements posted on Telegram that their respective regions are “with the President!”.
10:43 a.m .: Putin speaks on the phone with his ally Lukashenko
Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country is facing a rebellion from the paramilitary group Wagner, spoke on the phone with his Belarusian counterpart and closest ally, Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarusian state-run Belta news agency reported on Saturday.
This is the first international contact of Vladimir Putin since the beginning of this rebellion launched Friday evening by the head of Wagner, Evguéni Prigojine. “The Russian president called the Belarusian president this morning” to inform him “about the situation in Russia,” Belta said, quoting Mr. Lukashenko’s press service.
10:42 am: Tatiana Stanovaïa, political scientist: “Prigojine is doomed”
“Putin has clearly spoken out against the revolt, he has decided to suppress it harshly. There are at least two problems with this. The first is the civilian population. They are not going to bomb Rostov. The second is how hold the army. At the moment it is very difficult to know who is on whose side. I have no doubt that the military hierarchy supports the power, and there can be no defections that side. But the bottom of the hierarchy raises questions. How will the soldiers behave if they receive the order to shoot to kill? That’s why at the present time, it seems that it “It’s more about persuading Prigozhin and his men to surrender. Not sure if that will work. It might take some time. They will try to physically isolate Prigozhin, cut him off from the rest of the country, and wait.” But he is doomed.”
10:40 am: VIDEO. Prigozhin claims to be at military headquarters in Rostov
In this video, Yevgueni Prigojine assures that the military planes engaged in the Russian offensive in Ukraine “depart normally” from Rostov airfield to fulfill their “combat tasks”, affirming that “there is no problem” . “The main command point is functioning normally,” continued Yevgueni Prigojine, assuring that “no officer” deployed there has been suspended from duty.
“A large number of territories” conquered in Ukraine “are lost” and “a lot of soldiers are killed”, he affirmed, accusing once again the Russian army of not telling the truth about the situation on the forehead. The army loses “up to 1,000 men a day”, including dead, wounded, missing or those who refuse to fight, he said.
10:21 am: our file on the decline of the Russian empire
3755 A Declining Russia
© / Rob Dobi
In L’Express currently on newsstands, our dossier is devoted to the decline of the Russian empire and the threats hanging over Putin’s regime. Here are the items to find:
– Alexander Etkind: “Russia is an empire in decline that will eventually collapse”
– Putin resists, Prigojine takes power… Three scenarios on the political future of Russia
– Russia, an empire in decline: unmistakable signs
– Russia: the day the provinces will rise up against Putin…
10:17 a.m .: Berlin “closely follows events”
The German government “is closely following events in Russia” where the leader of the Wagner militia Yevgeny Prigojine went into rebellion against Russian regular troops and claims to control several military sites, a spokesman said on Saturday.
9:53 am: Macron “follows the situation closely”, remains focused on aid to Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron is closely following the situation in Russia, where the leader of the Wagner militia Evguéni Prigojine has gone into rebellion against Russian regular troops and controls several military sites, the Elysee said. “The President is following the situation closely. We remain focused on supporting Ukraine,” said the French presidency.
9:37 am: Putin denounces “a stab in the back”
In his brief 9 a.m. address, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Wagner’s rebellion a ‘deadly threat’ to the Russian state, called for unity and promised he wouldn’t let a ‘civil war’ occur in the country. “We are fighting for the life and security of our people,” Vladimir Putin also said. “We need all forces to be united,” he said, referring to “a stab in the back of [son] people and of [son] country”.
“We are facing a betrayal,” he denounced. “Those responsible will be brought to justice,” he also promised. He also acknowledged that “the situation in Rostov-on-Don is difficult”. And to continue to the attention of Wagner’s soldiers: “The traitors will be punished”
8:58 am: “It’s only the beginning in Russia”, according to an adviser to the Ukrainian president
An adviser to the Ukrainian president said Saturday that the crisis caused by the rebellion of the paramilitary group Wagner in Russia was just beginning. “It’s only the beginning in Russia,” said Mykhaïlo Podoliak on Twitter. “The division between the elites is too obvious. To agree and pretend that everything is settled will not work,” he added.
8:32 a.m .: Russia promises to “guarantee the safety” of Wagner fighters if they stop their rebellion
The Russian Ministry of Defense has promised to “guarantee the safety” of the fighters of the paramilitary group Wagner if they disassociate themselves from the “criminal adventure” of their boss, Evguéni Prigojine, who mutinied against the general staff . “You have been tricked into participating in Prigojine’s criminal adventure,” the ministry said in a statement. “Get in touch with representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defense and law enforcement agencies as soon as possible. We guarantee everyone’s safety,” he added, saying that “many” members of the Wagner group had already contacted him to ask to return to their barracks.
7:58 am: Putin will soon address the nation
Russian President Vladimir Putin will “soon” address the nation as his country is rocked by a rebellion by the paramilitary group Wagner, the Kremlin has announced. “Putin will make a speech soon,” presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies.
5:14 a.m .: “Anti-terrorist activities” underway in Moscow
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced on Saturday morning that “anti-terrorist activities” were underway in the city, after the Wagner group announced that it had entered into a rebellion against the Russian military staff. “Due to the information (us) reaching, anti-terrorist activities are underway in Moscow with the aim of strengthening security measures,” he wrote on Telegram messaging.
5:05 a.m .: Russian opponent Khodorkovsky calls for “helping” Wagner leader against Putin’s regime
Russian opponent and exiled businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky has called for help to the leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgueni Prigojine, in rebellion against the Russian army, to fight the regime of Vladimir Putin. “Yes, even the devil would have to help him if he decided to go against this regime! (…) If this bandit (Mr. Prigojine) wants to disturb the other (Mr. Putin, editor’s note), it is not the time to grimace, now we have to help“, he wrote on Telegram.