INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Mutinous Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Saturday he had ordered his fighters advancing on Moscow in convoy to turn around
and return to their bases to avoid bloodshed
President Vladimir Putinsaid the mutiny had to be put down
march of justice on June 23.In 24 hours we got to within 200km of Moscow
Understanding responsibility that Russian blood will be spilled on one side, we are turning our columns around and going back to field camps
head of the Wagner militia had agreed to de-escalate the situation
Facing the first serious challenge to his grip on power of his 23-year rule, Putin had vowed to crush the armed mutiny he compared to
There was increased security presence in Moscow and Red Square was blocked off by metal barriers.Wagner chief takes Russia's logistical
hub for Ukraine invasion 'without firing a shot'Prigozhin, whose private army fought the bloodiest battles in Ukraine even as he feuded for
months with the top brass, said on Saturday that he had captured the headquarters of Russia's Southern Military District in Rostov without
In Rostov, which serves as the main rear logistical hub for Russia's entire invasion force, residents milled about calmly, filming on
mobile phones as Wagner fighters in armoured vehicles and battle tanks took up positions
The surrounding region of Rostov is an important oil, gas and grains hub.As the headquarters for one of Russia's five military districts,
Rostov has played a primary role in operations in Ukraine since 2014, when Russia sparked a separatist war just over the border in the
The city's importance as a military hub has continued since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022
"Rostov is a logistical hub for the entire Russian military effort in Ukraine, so it is heavily protected
The top chain of command is in Rostov," said Andrei Soldatov, an expert on Russian intelligence and a senior fellow with the Center for
European Policy Analysis.The fact that Prigozhin and his troops were able to occupy Rostov is not only militarily and strategically
symbolic, it is also significant for Russia's ability to wage its war in Ukraine, he added.04:22VIDEO:Russia faces coup after
Kremlin-Wagner chief clash? Rebel mercenaries enter Russian military districtHaving captured the city of Rostov and set off on an 1,100km
race to Moscow, the fighters of the Wagner private army were already most of the way to the Russian capital
Outside Moscow, armoured military vehicles had set up roadblocks, while Russian media showed small groups of police manning machine gun
positions on the southern outskirts
Prigozhin had said his men were on a "march for justice" to remove corrupt and incompetent commanders he blames for botching the Ukraine
war.A source close to the leadership in the Russian-held part of Ukraine's Donetsk province said the convoy had about 5,000 fighters, with
a similar number in Rostov
Overall, Wagner has fewer than 25,000 men at its disposal, said the source, who has proved reliable in the past
The source said the mercenaries, led by a senior Wagner commander, Dmitry Utkin, intended to take up positions in a densely built-up area
Prigozhin accused Russia's military of hitting civilian targets from the air as it tried to slow the column's advance
In a televised address from the Kremlin earlier in the day, Putin said Russia's very existence was under threat
"We are fighting for the lives and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence, for the right to remain Russia, a state
with a thousand-year history," he said.Putin later signed a law tightening rules for breaking martial law in places where it has been
imposed, the RIA news agency said
Prigozhin had struck a defiant note and said he and his men had no intention of turning themselves in
Western capitals said they were closely following the situation in nuclear-armed Russia
US President Joe Biden spoke to the leaders of France, Germany and Britain, while secretary of state Antony Blinken spoke to counterparts
from G7 nations.Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had urged Putin to act with common sense, in a phone call with the Russian president about
(With inputs from Reuters)
