Yevgeny Prigozhin, the pinnacle of the mercenary Wagner group, claimed to have management of a number of essential army amenities in southern Russia within the metropolis of Rostov-on-Don. Video verified by The New York Occasions exhibits that he had entered a key army advanced on Saturday morning.
Within the movies, Mr. Prigozhin is seen within the firm of dozens of armed males within the courtyard of the Southern Army District Headquarters, an essential strategic command middle in Russia’s conflict on Ukraine. Mr. Prigozhin stated his forces would blockade town and head for Moscow except high Russian officers got here to satisfy with them.
It was not clear how a lot of the compound the Wagner forces managed, although President Vladimir V. Putin confirmed in a tv deal with that plenty of Rostov-on-Don’s civilian and army capabilities had been primarily blocked.
Extra movies circulating on-line and verified by The Occasions present dozens of troopers getting out of army automobiles and pointing their weapons on the army compound in Rostov-on-Don. They’re additionally seen activating round different key areas, together with the Ministry of Inner Affairs for the Rostov area. The movies had been launched hours after Mr. Prigozhin claimed Russia had attacked his forces in Ukraine, and stated that he was bringing a column of troops to Russia in retaliation.
Mr. Prigozhin on Friday accused the Russian army of attacking his mercenary forces, escalating a long-running feud with the Russian army over the conflict in Ukraine. Russia’s prosecutor normal introduced hours later that Mr. Prigozhin was being investigated “on suspicion of organizing an armed rebel.”
Since then, the scene that has unfolded on this metropolis of a couple of million individuals is tense and opaque; movies shared on Telegram present tanks driving down streets, troopers leaping off vehicles, and troops surrounding the headquarters. The troopers are extensively believed to be Wagner forces.
The Southern Army District is the smallest of Russia’s 4 regional army authorities, but it surely has performed a important position within the conflict. Items belonging to the command have fought in Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk areas of Ukraine.
Contributing to the confusion emanating from Rostov-on-Don, civilian onlookers subsequent to the army present of drive appear to be unusually calm. In movies circulating on-line, some individuals might be seen smoking and ingesting beer, and a road cleaner carries on with sweeping litter.
Robin Stein and Haley Willis contributed reporting.
