Russia tightens security after accusing Wagner chief of mounting coup against Putin

Madrid: The chief of the Wagner paramilitary group says his fighters have crossed the border into Russia from Ukraine and were prepared to go “all the way” against Moscow’s military, hours after the Kremlin accused him of armed mutiny.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the mercenary group that has been fighting Ukrainian troops, is facing charges of inciting mutiny after accusing the Russian military of launching a deadly strike on his troops. He said in a half-hour tirade on social media that the “evil” in the military leadership must be stopped and vowed to “march for justice”.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin released said in a video the “evil” in the Russian military must be stopped.Credit: AP

In response, Russian generals accused Prigozhin of trying to mount a coup against President Vladimir Putin, as the long-running feud between Wagner founder and the Russian military escalated into an open confrontation.

The Russian Ministry of Defence has denied the strike and demanded he halts “illegal actions” while the prosecutor general’s office confirmed Prigozhin had been charged with “organising an armed uprising”, which carries a sentence of 12 to 20 years in prison. It said his “actions will receive appropriate legal assessment”.

In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin was taking Prigozhin’s threat, security was heightened in government buildings, transport facilities and other key locations in Moscow, and in Rostov-on-Don, which is home to the Russian military headquarters for the southern region and also oversees the fighting in Ukraine.

Prigozhin later claimed Saturday that his forces had reached Rostov, saying they faced no resistance from young conscripts at checkpoints and adding that his forces “aren’t fighting against children.” The governor of the Rostov region sent a message to residents so stay indoors.

The Wagner chief said his fighters had also shot down a Russian helicopter that had been firing upon them, however, his claims could not be independently verified.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov (left) and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.Credit: AP

“But we will destroy anyone who stands in our way,” he said. “We are moving forward and will go until the end.”

He said his actions were not a military coup. But in a frenzied series of audio messages, in which the sound of his voice sometimes varied and could not be independently verified, he appeared to suggest that his 25,000-strong militia was en route to oust the leadership of the defence ministry in Moscow.

Putin was getting around-the-clock updates, TASS reported, while the White House said it was monitoring the situation and would consult with allies.

Joe Biden has been briefed on the chaotic situation in Russia with US officials describing it as “serious”. A White House National Security Council spokesman said: “We are monitoring the situation and will be consulting with allies and partners on these developments.”

A US official told CNN this crisis was “real” but the Pentagon and White House were waiting to see how it developed.

Kyiv was also closely tracking developments. Its armed forces posted on Twitter: “We are watching.”

Asked on Saturday morning whether Russia was heading towards a civil war, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Russia should withdraw from Ukraine immediately.

“My view is very clear – that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is illegal, is a breach of international law, shows no respect for the sovereignty of a democratic nation, and Russia should withdraw from this action,” Albanese said.

The standoff, many of the details of which remained unclear, looked like the biggest domestic crisis Putin has faced since he sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February last year.

Earlier, Prigozhin said Russian generals had concocted false pretences to trick Putin into invading Ukraine and said Moscow could have avoided the war entirely. The notorious strongman, who has known Putin since their days in St Petersburg in the early 1990s, is widely believed by analysts to have the Russian president’s approval for his attacks on the army.

An armoured personnel carrier is seen next to a shopping mall in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.Credit: Reuters

In an audio message posted to Telegram, Prigozhin said “huge numbers” of his fighters had been killed in a strike by the Russian military on a Wagner camp. He published a video which he claims shows the aftermath of the rocket attack in the southern Rostov region.

“Those who killed our lads, and tens of thousands of lives of Russian soldiers [in the war in Ukraine] will be punished,” he said.

“I ask you not to resist. Anyone who does will be considered a threat and destroyed. That goes for any checkpoints and aviation on our way. Presidential power, the government, the police and Russian guard will work as usual. This is not a military coup, but a march of justice. Our actions do not interfere with the troops in any way.”

He claimed Russia had faced no immediate threat from Ukraine when Putin began his full-scale invasion last year and accused the army’s top brass of deceiving the Russian president for their own personal gain.

The rant, posted on social media on Friday evening UK time, is the latest instalment of Prigozhin’s long-running spat with defence minister Sergei Shoigu, who he has accused of sabotaging the war effort together with Valery Gerasimov, chief of Russia’s general staff.

“There was nothing out of the ordinary on February 24,” Prigozhin said, referring to the day Putin ordered the invasion.

“The defence ministry is trying to deceive the president and society by saying Ukraine was going mad with aggression and was planning to attack us together with the whole NATO bloc.”

“For some reason, this bunch of idiots thought they were so smart-arsed that nobody would understand what they were up to or stop them on their way to Kyiv.”

Russian state media reported that the FSB, Russia’s security services, had opened a criminal case against Prigozhin, accusing him of “calling for an armed rebellion”.

The defence ministry said in a statement that “all reports by Prigozhin spread on social media” of Russian strikes on Wagner camps were “not true and are an information provocation”.

The Wagner Group has been fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine but in recent months, Prigozhin has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of Russia’s military leadership. He said in the recording that he had 25,000 men under arms but also considers the entire army, and the entire Russian society, his strategic reserve.

Surovikin, the deputy commander of Russia’s Ukraine campaign, released a video address ordering the mercenaries to remain loyal to Putin.

“I urge you to stop,” Surovikin, who was previously reported to be close to Prigozhin, said. “The enemy is just waiting for the internal political situation to worsen in our country.”