Wagner Mercenary Group Seize Military Facilities In 2 Russian Cities

Moscow
Amid an alleged rebellion, the Russian Wagner mercenary group on Saturday claimed to have seized military facilities in the cities of Rostov and Voronezh, despite President Vladimir Putin’s order to neutralise the mercenaries. In a social media post, the group’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said that he was in Rostov-on-Don, in southern Russia close to the Ukraine border, and that his forces have control of military facilities and the airfield. He pledged to blockade Rostov and move on to Moscow if Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and top general Valery Gerasimov did not meet him in the city, where Russia’s Southern Military District is headquartered. The Wagner group also claimed that said it had taken control of Russian military facilities in the second city of Voronezh, saying the army switches to the side of the people. Earlier, the Governor of Voronezh oblast said that a convoy of military equipment is moving along the M-4 Don Federal Highway, which connects the city and Rostov-on-Don. Voronezh is directly north of the Rostov region. The simmering tensions come after Prigozhin announced that his fighters were entering the Rostov region and that Russian Guards and military police have joined the Wagner group. Videos circulating on social media and geolocated to Rostov city show military vehicles on the streets and helicopters over the city Saturday morning. In response to the developments, President Putin said in a televised address to the nation: Any internal turmoil is a deadly threat to our statehood, to us as a nation. This is a blow to Russia, to our people. And our actions to protect the motherland from such a threat will be tough.