Russian President Vladimir Putin is addressing the nation Saturday morning after an armed revolt by the chief of the Wagner mercenary group against the Kremlin, the worst ever crisis the authoritarian regime seems to have faced in its history.
Alarming reports have continued to pour out of Russia since Yevgeny Prigozhin openly revolted against the Kremlin. He said he was inside the army headquarters in Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, and that his fighters had taken over defense facilities there including an airfield in Rostov. He has also reportedly sent a convoy of fighters and equipment to Moscow, prompting the administration of the Russian capital to take defensive steps.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that “anti-terrorist measures” were being taken, including additional checks on roads, showing the seriousness of the revolt by Prigozhin’s mercenary forces.
Prigozhin, who has been feuding with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Kremlin military leadership, threatened to topple the Russian military leadership after accusing the Russian military of a missile strike on Wagner troops in Ukraine. Wagner played a key role in capturing Bakhmut in Ukraine.
The Russian military HQ in Rostov-on-Don is a key combat control center for Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. “Planes that leave for combat work leave as usual no problems. Medical flights are leaving as usual. All we did was to take control so that the attack aviation would not strike us but strike in the Ukrainian direction,” Prigozhin posted on Wagner’s official Telegram channel.
The Russian defense ministry denied Prigozhin’s claims and the Russian FSB secret service opened a criminal case against Prigozhin for armed mutiny. Russia has also appealed to the Wagner members to abandon Prigozhin.
The Wagner chief claimed in his Telegram channel that Russian military members were joining the convoy of military equipment he sent to Rostov.
Prigozhin has reportedly known Putin since the 1990s, and won lucrative catering contracts with the Kremlin, which earned him the nickname “Putin’s chef.”