Power struggle escalates
Wagner is said to be advancing on Rostov
06/24/2023 02:27 am
In the conflict between the paramilitary mercenary group Wagner and the Russian Ministry of Defense, events escalate. Moscow writes out Wagner chief Prigozhin for arrest. The latter, in turn, claims that his fighters have advanced across the Russian border and want to invade Rostov-on-Don.
According to their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, fighters from the private Russian mercenary group Wagner have invaded Russian territory. His fighters had crossed the Ukrainian border into Russia, Prigozhin said in a nightly interview audio message. They were about to move into the city of Rostov-on-Don. The Wagner mercenaries were greeted with hugs by Russian border troops. They would march even further than Rostov, claimed Prigozhin, who had previously called for an armed uprising against the Russian army leadership. The mercenary leader warned that his troops would “destroy everything” that stood in their way. “We’ll continue, we’ll go to the end,” announced Prigozhin.
Shortly before, the Russian secret service FSB had called on the Wagner troop mercenaries to arrest their boss, Prigozhin. “We call on the fighters of the private army not to make irreparable mistakes, to stop all hostilities against the Russian people, to ignore the criminal and treacherous orders of Prigozhin and to take measures to arrest him,” the FSB said in a statement .
Russia’s Attorney General’s Office justified the initiation of proceedings against Prigozhin for attempted armed rebellion: “Such a crime is punishable by imprisonment of between 12 and 20 years,” the authority said.
Prigozhin accuses the army leadership of attacking Wagner
The Wagner boss had previously accused the army of bombing his troops and called on the Russians to rebel against the military leadership. He announced he would stop “evil” in the military leadership. Those who destroyed the lives of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers would be punished. The ministry is keeping 2,000 bodies under lock and key to cover up the extent of the casualties, Prigozhin claimed. “We are 25,000 and we will find out why the country was thrown into chaos,” said the mercenary boss. Most of the military supports him. “This is not a military coup. This is a march for justice.”
Meanwhile, the important Russian army general Sergey Surovikin has sided with the power apparatus in Moscow. In a video message, Surovikin, who is Deputy Chief of the Russian General Staff, called on Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin to end the power struggle. “The enemy is just waiting for our domestic political situation to deteriorate,” said Surovikin in a video message. Surovikin – also known as “General Armageddon” – is actually considered an ally of Prigozhin, but has now apparently decided to remain loyal to the Kremlin. “We must not play into the enemy’s hands – at this difficult time for the country,” said Surovikin, who recalled that he fought successfully with Prigozhin in Russia’s war against Ukraine. He now called on Wagner to submit to the “will and the orders of the President of the Russian Federation, elected by the whole people”.
Security measures have been ramped up in Moscow and other regions in recent hours. “All important objects, such as organs of state power and objects of transport infrastructure, were put under increased surveillance,” reported the state news agency TASS, citing the security authorities. Videos had previously appeared online showing an infantry fighting vehicle and an armored military truck driving in front of the Russian parliament, the State Duma. The media also reported that armored vehicles had also driven up in the city of Rostov-on-Don near the Ukrainian border. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is said to be staying there.