Moscow: A coup attempt is under way

The founder and head of Russia’s private military company Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who rebelled against Russia’s military leadership, vowed today that he would go “to the end” and “destroy everyone who got in his way,” declaring his men had crossed paths. From the territory of Ukraine to the territory of Russia.

His goal was the overthrow of the military hierarchy, declaring that he was “ready to die” with his 25,000 men “for the liberation of the Russian people”.

And in Washington, the White House said it was “monitoring developments closely.”

“help the devil”

Exiled Russian opposition businessman Mikhail Khodorkovsky has called for Wagner’s support to fight the regime of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Yes, and Satan himself must help if he decides to go against this system! (…) If this gang (Mr. Prigozhin) wants to attack the other (Mr. Putin), then this is not the time to be angry, we must help,” Mr. Khodorkovsky said via the Telegram platform.

The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office said it had opened an investigation into “armed rebellion” with Prigozhin, who rebelled after accusing the Russian regular army of bombing a base of his men, killing many. The authorities have stepped up security measures in Moscow and in various regions of the country.

guard in Rostov

The governor of the Russian city of Rostov, bordering Ukraine, called on residents in the early hours of the day to remain calm and “stay at home” as the head of the Russian private military company Wagner, who had rebelled against the General Staff, reported that his men had now arrived there.

Prigozhin said they “entered Rostov,” a city in southern Russia, and did not open fire on a detachment that had been deployed to stop them.

He said that mercenaries “would only fight with professionals,” adding that he did not want to kill “children.” But he added, “We will eliminate all who stand in our way.”

“Law enforcement agencies are doing everything necessary to ensure the safety of the local population. I ask everyone to stay calm and not leave their homes unless absolutely necessary,” said the district governor Vasily Golubev via Telegram platform before 4:00 (local and Greek time).

“25,000 ready to die”

Chief Wagner says that he has 25,000 fighters under his command, declaring that he and “25,000” of his men are ready to die for the “Motherland”, for the “liberation of the Russian people” from the military hierarchy against which they rebelled.

“We are all ready to die, we are all 25,000. And then there will be another 25,000. Because we will die for the Motherland, we will die for the Russian people, who must be freed from those who bomb the civilian population,” Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a new audio message.

Prigozhin also announced in the early hours of this morning that his fighters shot down a Russian military helicopter.

“A helicopter fired at a civilian convoy and was shot down by Wagner units,” he said in an audio message.

Moments earlier, Mr. Prigozhin had claimed that the Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, had ordered Wagner units to be bombed even though they were moving between civilian vehicles.

“enhanced security measures”

The governor of Russia’s Lipetsk region, 420 kilometers south of Moscow, also announced in the early hours of this morning that “enhanced security measures” had been taken, a few hours after the Russian private military company Wagner revolted.

Igor Artamav said via Telegram that “special attention” would be given to protecting “critical infrastructure”, calling on citizens to “remain calm” and avoid traveling south towards regions of Russia bordering Ukraine.

In the same climate, the Mayor of the Russian capital, Sergei Sobyanin, said this morning that “anti-terror activities” are taking place in Moscow, after the Wagner paramilitary organization announced that it is rebelling against the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. forces.

“According to the information we received, anti-terrorism activities are taking place in Moscow with the aim of strengthening security measures,” Sobyanin said in a message on the Telegram messaging app.

Incitement to armed rebellion

Moscow had earlier accused the founder of the mercenary company of inciting an armed rebellion, attempting a coup and inciting a civil war.

Yevgeny Prigozhin blames the Russian military leadership and personally Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for launching a “missile” air attack on a base of his fighters that resulted in a “large number of casualties” and declares that he will “punish” him.

At the same time, the Russian security services called on Wagner’s militants to arrest Prigozhin, accusing him of trying to start a “civil war” by ordering his men to rebel against the military administration.

“The accusations spread on behalf of Yevgeny Prigozhin are unfounded. The Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee said in a press release carried by Russian news agencies that the FSB has initiated an investigation into incitement to armed insurrection in relation to them.

The FSB called on Wagner’s mercenaries to arrest their leader, disobeying his “criminal and treacherous orders” aimed at inciting a “civil war”.