Mutinous Russian mercenary fighters made significant strides towards the capital city of Moscow, seizing a southern city overnight on Saturday. Despite Russia's military engaging them from the air, their rapid advance shows no signs of abating.
This daring challenge to President Vladimir Putin's 23-year rule represents the first substantial threat to his grip on power. In response, Putin pledged to crush the armed mutiny, drawing a comparison to Russia's Civil War a century ago.
Led by the Wagner private army, under the command of former Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenaries had already traversed a significant portion of the distance to Moscow after capturing the city of Rostov. Their race to the capital spans approximately 1,100 kilometers.
Russian media outlets displayed images of small groups of security personnel manning machine gun positions on the southern outskirts of Moscow. Authorities in the Lipetsk region, south of the capital, urged residents to remain home, heightening concerns over the situation.
Sergei Sobyanin, the Mayor of Moscow, pleaded for people to limit their movement within the city due to the declared counter-terrorism operation, emphasizing the gravity of the circumstances by describing them as “difficult.”
Prigozhin, in his defense, stated that his forces were engaged in a “march for justice,” aiming to remove corrupt and ineffective commanders responsible for the perceived failures in the war in Ukraine.
Addressing the nation from the Kremlin, Putin asserted that Russia's very existence was at stake. He declared: “We are fighting for the lives and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence, for the right to preserve Russia, a state with a thousand-year history.”
Putin pledged that those who chose the path of betrayal, armed insurrection, blackmail, or terrorist methods would face inevitable punishment under the law and by the people.
Subsequently, Putin signed legislation reinforcing the regulations governing the violation of martial law in areas where it was imposed, as the RIA news agency reported.
This move indicates the government's resolve to maintain control and respond firmly to threats.
The unfolding situation poses a critical test for Putin's leadership as he confronts a formidable challenge from the mutinous Wagner mercenaries. The outcome of this power struggle will undoubtedly have far-reaching implications for the future of Russia.
‘Civil conflict'
After Putin's speech accusing him of treason, Prigozhin launched a second broadside.
“On treason of the motherland: the president is deeply wrong. We are patriots of our motherland,” Prigozhin said. “Nobody plans to turn themselves in at the request of the president, the FSB or anyone else.”
Russia's headquarters in Rostov-on-Don is a key logistical base for its offensive in Ukraine.
Watching events unfold in Russia as his own forces conduct a slow-moving counteroffensive, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said the revolt showed Russia's was failing.
“Russia's weakness is obvious. Full-scale weakness,” he said.
Critical facilities
“And the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will have for itself later. It is also obvious, that Ukraine is able to protect Europe from the spread of Russian evil and chaos.”
Armed Wagner fighters deployed around administrative buildings in Rostov and tanks could be seen in the city centre.
As the insurrection force headed north through Voronezh and Lipetsk towards Moscow, the capital's mayor announced that “anti-terrorist” measures were being taken.
Critical facilities were “under reinforced protection”, TASS reported, citing a law enforcement source.
While Prigozhin's outfit fought at the forefront of Russia's offensive in Ukraine, in recent months it has engaged in a bitter feud with Moscow's military leadership.
He has repeatedly blamed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, for his fighters' deaths.