Ukraine war – live updates: Wagner chief Prigozhin to leave Russia under deal brokered by Belarus

Summary of developments:

• Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin will leave for Belarus under the deal brokered by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko to end the armed mutiny against Russia’s military leadership.
• Charges against Prigozhin and his Wagner forces will be dropped by Russian authorities to avoid “bloodshed”.
• The Wagner rebels earlier today took control of Rostov-on-Don and advanced on the Russian capital Moscow before Prigozhin agreed to a de-escalation deal.
• Russian president Vladimir Putin described the rebellion as a “stab in the back” to Russia and said that those involved in mutiny would be “held accountable”.
• Moscow residents had been urged to avoid travelling around the city after a counter-terrorism operation was declared.
• The events had prompted the Department of Foreign Affairs to warn Irish citizens against all travel to the Russian Federation until further notice and to urge them to have plans in place to leave Russia, if their circumstances deteriorated.

Wagner chief Prigozhin to move to Belarus under deal to end rebellion against Putin

The head of the Russian military company Wagner will move to neighbouring Belarus as part of a deal to end his rebellion and the criminal case against him will be closed, the Kremlin has said.

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the defence ministry, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said.

After the deal was reached, Mr Prigozhin said he was ordering his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops.

The deal appeared to defuse a dramatically escalating crisis that represented the most significant challenge to President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power.

Read the full report on today’s events here.

Zelenskiy says Wagner mutiny made ‘man from the Kremlin very afraid’

Shortly before the announcement of Wagner’s retreat, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiy delivered his daily video address. He said Saturday’s events had showed “that the bosses of Russia do not control anything”. The Kremlin, he said, “showed all Russian bandits, mercenaries, oligarchs” that it is easy to “capture Russian cities and, probably, arsenals with weapons”.

Switching into Russian during the address, Zelenskiy claimed that “the man from the Kremlin” was “very afraid”. Zelenskiy used the backdrop of the situation in Russia to urge allies to give Ukraine F-16 fighter aircraft and ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles, as well as underlined the importance of Ukraine joining Nato.

Wagner chief Prigozhin to move to Belarus and will avoid charges

Russian state media have, according to the BBC, reported that Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin will leave for Belarus under the deal brokered by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko to end the armed mutiny that Prigozhin had led against Russia’s military leadership.

Charges against him and his Wagner forces will be dropped by Russian authorities to avoid “bloodshed”, the reports say.

The BBC reported that Peskov says Wagner mercenaries who wish to sign a ministry of defence contract can, and fighters who took part today’s uprising will not be prosecuted.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Lukashenko had offered to mediate, with Russian president Vladimir Putin’s agreement, because he had known Prigozhin personally for about 20 years.

Prigozhin and all of his fighters vacated the military headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don that they had previously taken over, the RIA news agency reported.

The Wagner rebellion has been called off but Putin has never looked weaker

Following the Wagner rebellion and subsequent de-escalation deal, Luke Harding writes Russia now stands on the brink of civil strife and victory over Kyiv seems further away than ever.

Read the full analysis here.

Putin ‘thanks’ Belarus president for negotiating with Wagner chief

Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko’s press office said that Vladimir Putin has thanked him for negotiating with Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who agreed to pull back his mercenaries after talking with Lukashenko.

“Today at 9pm, the presidents spoke on the phone again. Belarus president has informed the Russia president in great detail about the results of his negotiations with authorities of Wagner PMC,” the statement reads.

“President of Russia supported and thanked his Belarus colleague for the work he did.”

The Kremlin has yet to make any public statements about the negotiations.

Russian state-controlled TV station RT is reporting that Wagner troops are packing up in Rostov, with video footage of Wagner soldiers appearing to prepare to leave.

Here’s a look at the Wagner chief’s full statement on pulling back his mercenaries, made via audio message:

Prigozhin tells his Wagner rebels to stop advance on Moscow to avoid ‘Russian bloodshed’

Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin is halting his mercenaries moments after Belarus president Alexander Lukashenko said he brokered a de-escalation deal, AP has confirmed.

In an audio message, Prigozhin said that he is stopping his troops to avoid “Russian bloodshed”.

Prigozhin accepts de-escalation proposal, says Belarus president

The office of the Belarus president, Alexander Lukashenko, just announced that Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has accepted a proposal to “stop the movement of armed persons of the Wagner company on the territory of Russia and take further steps to de-escalate tensions”, the president’s office said, with similar reporting in Russian news outlets.

The statement said that Vladimir Putin briefed Lukashenko in the morning and, with his approval, Lukashenko held negotiating talks with Prigozhin.

“Negotiations continued throughout the day. As a result, they came to agreements on the inadmissibility of unleashing a bloody massacre on the territory of Russia,” the statement read. Wagner and Prigozhin have not commented on the negotiations.

US top military officer postpones trip to Middle East

Our Washington Correspondent Martin Wall reports on the latest development from the US . . .

The United States’ top military officer, Gen Mark Milley, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, has postponed a scheduled visit to the Middle East next week due to the crisis in Russia.

Ex-Russian president warns of catastrophe if ‘bandits’ seize nuclear weapons

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday that Russia will not allow the Wagner mutiny led by Yevgeny Prigozhin to turn into a coup or a global crisis, Russia’s state news agency Tass reports.

Answering questions from journalists, Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, said the whole world would be on the brink of catastrophe if Russian nuclear weapons fell into the hands of Wagner.

“The history of mankind hasn’t yet seen the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons under control by bandits,” Medvedev said.

“Such a crisis will not be limited by just one country’s borders, the world will be put on the brink of destruction. We won’t allow such a turn of events.”

Medvedev has frequently used hardline rhetoric since Russia sent troops into Ukraine, regularly reminding the West about Russia’s nuclear arsenal in a bid to discourage the US and its allies from ramping up weapons supplies to Kyiv.

Biden discusses Wagner revolt with key European leaders

This is the latest from our Washington Correspondent, Martin Wall, who reports that President Joe Biden has discussed the situation in Russia with key European leaders . . .

US president Joe Biden has held talks with leaders in key European counties about the situation in Russia.

The White House said on Saturday that he had spoken with French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK prime minister Rishi Sunak.

“The leaders discussed the situation in Russia. They also affirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine.”

The White House also said Biden and vice president Kamala Harris had been briefed by their national security team on Saturday morning about the latest developments in Russia.

It said those at the meetings included national security adviser Jake Sullivan, secretary of state Antony Blinken, defence secretary Lloyd Austin, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Gen Mark Milley, as well as senior intelligence service figures.

“The president and vice president will continue to be briefed throughout the day,” it said.

The US state department said earlier on Saturday morning in Washington that Blinken had spoken with foreign ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom as well as the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy to discuss the ongoing situation in Russia.

“Secretary Blinken reiterated that support by the United States for Ukraine will not change. The United States will stay in close co-ordination with allies and partners as the situation continues to develop.”

Department of Foreign Affairs warns against travel to Russia

The Department of Foreign Affairs is recommending against all travel to the Russian Federation until further notice.

Irish citizens who are in Russia are advised to carefully consider the necessity of their continued stay in Russia.

The Irish Embassy in Moscow strongly recommends all Irish citizens to have plans in place to leave Russia, should their own circumstances deteriorate.

Due to staff reductions following diplomatic expulsions ordered by the Russian government, the embassy has significantly fewer resources to assist in a crisis.

Irish citizens should not rely on the possibility of an organised evacuation occurring in the event of a crisis, and should instead have their own plans for departure in place.

Moscow mayor urges people to refrain from trips around the city amid ‘difficult’ situation

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin asked people to refrain from trips around the city as far as possible given a counter-terrorism operation had been declared and said the situation was “difficult”.

Sobyanin also said in a statement that Monday would be a non-working day – with some exceptions – in order “to minimise risks”.

He issued the statement as mutinous Wagner mercenary fighters appeared to be continuing to drive towards Moscow from southern Russia.

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak has said he is in touch with the UK’s allies about the Wagner mutiny, PA Media reports.

The PM urged all parties involved to protect civilian lives, as he indicated he will speak to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other western leaders on Saturday.

“We’re keeping a close eye on the situation, as it’s evolving on the ground as we speak,” Sunak told the BBC.

“The most important thing I’d say is for all parties to be responsible and to protect civilians, and that’s about as much as I can say at this moment.”

Asked whether he had spoken to Zelenskiy, Sunak said: “I’m in touch with our allies.

“I’ll be speaking to some of them later today, as you would expect us to be co-ordinated on a situation like this, but it is evolving as we speak.”

Russia warns West against using Wagner group to ‘achieve their Russophobic goals’

Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it warned western countries against using the Wagner mercenary group’s mutiny “to achieve their Russophobic goals”, Reuters reports.

The ministry’s social media channels remain active. On Twitter, it recently shared a post by Belarus’s ministry of foreign affairs which stated its support of Russia and called the war in Ukraine a “battle for the future of the Slavic world”. “We cannot remain aloof from the events happening in the south of Russia,” the post said.

The Russian foreign ministry also shared a video from the Russian embassy in London showing the ambassador, Andrei Kelin, discussing frozen assets in the UK.

Ukraine reportedly liberates territories near city during Wagner mutiny, after predawn Russian air strikes kill three in Kyiv

Kyiv has liberated territories near the city of Krasnohorivka in Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian news agencies, which have been occupied by pro-Russia separatists since 2014.

Oleksandr Tarnavsky, commander of the Tavria operational strategic grouping, spoke to the national news agency of Ukraine, Ukrinform.

“The movement of our forces continues,” Tarnavsky wrote on Telegram on Saturday. “There are tangible successes and progress.” These claims have not be independently verified.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported earlier at least three people were killed in Kyiv early on Saturday after Russia unleashed its latest overnight air strikes on Ukraine.

Interior minister Ihor Klymenko said missiles had targeted at least five regions across the country. Three people were killed and eight wounded after a high-rise in the capital was struck, he said.

“This is the style of terrorists. The style of Russia,” he wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Ukraine’s military said air defences had destroyed 41 out of 51 cruise missiles, as well as two drones, launched by Russia in the assault.

In a separate post, Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said the damage to the high-rise had been caused by fragments from a downed missile. He added that more than 20 missiles had been shot down around the city.

Emergency workers on Saturday morning were sifting through debris at the scene, where a gaping hole was visible on one side of the building. Mayor Vitalii Klitschko said on Telegram that more people may be trapped under the rubble.

Officials in the southeastern region of Dnipropetrovsk said eight people were wounded – two of them children – and several buildings destroyed in attacks there.

Russia introduces anti-terrorist measures amid Wagner rebels’ advance

Anti-terrorist measures have been introduced in regions that lie between Moscow and the advancing Wagner rebels.

In the Tambov region – which neighbours the Lipetsk, which Wagner forces have just entered – mass events were cancelled on Saturday, Associated Press reports. Those events included high-school graduation parties.

Russia’s education ministry said such parties were being postponed until July 1st in Moscow, the region around the capital and “a number of other regions where additional anti-terrorist measures have been introduced”.

In the capital, traffic on the Moscow River was suspended. Police officers in bulletproof vests and with machine guns were seen near the entrance of the major highway that links Moscow with Voronezh and Rostov–on-Don.

The BBC reported that improvised checkpoints have appeared at the entrances to Moscow from the south.

Footage shows garbage trucks blocking the road and police cars nearby. It also shows military vehicles.

Public buildings in Moscow evacuated as Wagner rebels advance

The BBC Russia has reported evacuations of public buildings across Moscow as the Wagner rebels advance.

The broadcaster said museums near the Kremlin are being evacuated in Moscow.

There have been reports over the last few hours of the evacuation of the Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin Museum and the GES-2 House of Culture, the BBC added.

The Mega Belaya Dacha shopping centre and the Kvartal shopping centre were also evacuated in Moscow, they said.

Latvia has closed its borders to Russians amid an armed rebellion against Vladimir Putin’s regime.

The Baltic state’s president-elect on Saturday said Latvia had tightened its border security in response to the mutiny under way in Russia and would not be admitting Russians.

“Latvia is closely following the developing situation in Russia . . . Border security has been strengthened, visa or border entry from Russians leaving Russia due to current events won’t be considered,” Edgars Rinkēvičs said on Twitter.

“Latvia will not issue humanitarian or other types of visas,” added the president-elect, who is also still the foreign minister.

Latvia last year stopped issuing new visas to Russian citizens, but had until now made an exception for humanitarian visas.

Russian authorities have reportedly offered the Wagner mutineers an amnesty if they surrender.

The Russian state news agency Tass has been told by a Russian lawmaker that the Wagner fighters have been promised an amnesty if they lay down their weapons but they need to act fast, Reuters reports.

“Wagner fighters can still lay down their arms and avoid punishment given their achievements during the special military operation [in Ukraine], but they should do it fast,” Tass cited the lawmaker, Pavel Krasheninnikov, as saying.

The Turkish presidency, meanwhile, confirmed that the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin on Saturday and urged him to act with common sense. It said the two discussed recent developments in Russia and Erdoğan told Putin that Turkey was ready to do its part to help bring about a peaceful solution to the situation.

Wagner mercenaries enter Lipetsk province, says Russian governor

The governor of Russia’s Lipetsk province says the Wagner mercenary group has entered the region, AP reports.

The Lipetsk region is about 360km (225 miles) south of Moscow and much closer to the capital than Rostov-on-Don, where Wagner forces appeared during the night. Authorities “are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the population. The situation is under control”, governor Igor Artamonov said on Telegram.

He did not give details about the Wagner presence. Authorities in the area, which is in Russia’s southwest, earlier urged residents to stay at home on Saturday after the Wagner group vowed to take up arms to topple the country’s military leadership.

Wagner forces are already in control of Rostov after an overnight rebellion. It appears they have now travelled about 805km (500 miles) north as they barrel towards Moscow.

Reuters journalists earlier saw troop carriers and a flatbed truck carrying a tank careening past the city of Voronezh more than halfway to Moscow, where a helicopter fired on them. But there were no reports of the rebels meeting any substantial resistance on the highway.

How Wagner, a Frankenstein’s monster, eventually turned on its creator Putin

When they first appeared in 2014 to fight covertly in Ukraine, the masked militiamen of Russia’s Wagner group epitomised how Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin had mastered a new, underhand form of warfare. But after Wagner paramilitaries took control of at least one Russian city on Saturday and began a “march of justice” on Moscow, the blowback from nine years of war in Ukraine threatened the very foundations of Putin’s state – with a problem of his own making . . .

Read Max Seddon’s story examining the rivalry between Vladimir Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin, and how it spilled out of control this week.

Speculation over Putin’s whereabouts as reports his plane left Moscow

There have been numerous reports that Vladimir Putin’s presidential plane took off from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport at 2.16pm local time (12.16pm Irish time) and then headed northwest.

According to data from the FlightRadar tracking website, the plane reached the Tver area – about 177km from Moscow and where Putin has a residence – before disappearing from the system.

It has not been possible to confirm whether Putin was on the plane and his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, has told the Tass news agency the president is “working in the Kremlin”.

Meanwhile, Iranian state media quoted the foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani on Saturday as saying Iran supports the rule of law in the Russian Federation and considers the latest developments there an internal Russian matter.

Putin signs law permitting 30-day detentions for breaking martial law

President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a law permitting 30-day detentions for breaking martial law in places where it has been imposed, the state-owned RIA news agency reported.

It has been claimed in unconfirmed Russian media reports that the cash found at Yevgeny Prigozhin’s St Petersburg office totalled 4 billion roubles (€43 million).

Reuters reports that Prigozhin said the money – found in cardboard boxes in vehicles near his office by Russia’s FSB security service – was to cover salaries and other expenses for his Wagner fighters.

Blinken speaks with G7 and EU ministers over Wagner situation

US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said he spoke with G7 foreign ministers and the EU high representative for foreign affairs after Wagner fighters took control of some military facilities in southern Russia.

“The United States will stay in close coordination with Allies and partners as the situation continues to develop,” Blinken wrote on Twitter.

Flights from Moscow ‘sell out’ as Wagner group approaches

Flights from Moscow have reportedly sold out as the Wagner mercenary group approaches. Der Spiegel has reported that tickets for direct connections from Moscow to Tbilisi, Astana and Istanbul are no longer available.

Google Maps is showing road closures on the M4 south of Moscow, the route the Wagner rebels are taking.

The governor of Russia’s Voronezh region has said that emergency services were trying to put out a burning fuel tank at an oil depot. More than 100 firefighters and 30 units of equipment were working at the site, Alexander Gusev, the region’s governor, said on messaging service Telegram.

Video footage obtained by Reuters showed a ball of fire erupting after a helicopter flew near a residential area. The Voronezh location was verified by Reuters by buildings and road characteristics that matched satellite imagery.

Here’s a timeline of events (so far) and reaction to them:

Friday

Prigozhin releases a video stepping up his feud with Russia’s military top brass and for the first time rejects Moscow’s core justifications for invading Ukraine.

- In a series of subsequent audio recordings posted on Telegram, Prigozhin says the “evil” of Russia’s military leadership “must be stopped” and his Wagner mercenary force will lead a “march for justice” against the Russian military.

- Russia’s FSB security service responds by opening a criminal case against Prigozhin, saying he has called for armed mutiny.

- The deputy commander of Russia’s Ukraine campaign, Gen Sergei Surovikin, urges the Wagner militia to give up their opposition to the military leadership and return to their bases.

Saturday

- Prigozhin says his men have crossed border from Ukraine into Russia and are ready to go “all the way” against the Russian military.

Wagner fighters have entered the southern Russian city of Rostov, Prigozhin says in an audio recording posted on Telegram.

- The White House says it is monitoring the situation involving Russia and the Wagner force, and will be consulting with allies and partners on developments.

- Russian Prosecutor-General Igor Krasnov formally informs Putin about the criminal case that had been opened against Prigozhin, for armed mutiny.

- The governor of southern Russia’s Rostov region adjoining Ukraine tells residents to remain calm and stay indoors as it becomes clear that Wagner forces have taken control of the city of Rostov.

- Russian’s defence ministry issues a statement appealing to Wagner fighters to abandon Prigozhin, saying they have been “deceived and dragged into a criminal adventure”.

- A Russian security source tells Reuters that Wagner fighters have taken control of all military facilities in the city of Voronezh, around 500 km (300 miles) south of Moscow.

- Putin makes a televised address vowing to crush what he calls an armed mutiny. He accuses Prigozhin of “treason” and a “stab in the back.”

- Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a Putin ally, says his forces are ready to help put down the mutiny by Prigozhin and to use harsh methods if necessary.

- European governments including Britain, France, Germany and Italy issue statements saying they are closely watching developments in Russia.

- Russian military helicopters open fire on a convoy of rebel mercenaries already more than half way towards Moscow in a lightning advance after seizing Rostov overnight.

- Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy says “Russia’s weakness is obvious” and that the longer Moscow keeps its troops and mercenaries in Ukraine, the more chaos it will invite back home.

Large amount of cash found at Prigozhin’s offices during raid

Large amounts of cash were found during a raid on Prigozhin’s office, he has reportedly confirmed, according to Reuters. Russian media had reported money was found at the St Petersburg address.

Prigozhin has said the money was for Wagner expenses, they report. Russian state media has also reported that Putin has held a call with Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who expressed support for the current Russian leadership, they claim.

A security council statement from Belarus has also said that country remains an ally of Russia and that internal disputes are a “gift to the collective West”.

Russian soldiers, police reportedly taking up positions in key locations

Russian soldiers have reportedly set up a machine gun position on the edge of Moscow, according to photographs published by a Russian newspaper.

According to Reuters, Vedomosti newspaper reported the gun had been set up at the southwestern edge of the city. Photographs also showed armed police gathering at the point where the M4 highway – which mutinous Wagner mercenaries are moving along – reaches the Russian capital.

The Kyiv Post, a Ukrainian newspaper, reported that trenches were being dug on the edge of Moscow.

Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence service, claimed on Saturday it was clear that what he called an attempt to destabilise society and ignite a fratricidal civil war had failed, the state Tass news agency reported.

Prigozhin claims his Wagner forces have been fired on by artillery and that he has taken control of the Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don without firing a single shot, Reuters reports.

In a new audio message released by his press service, he said his men had been fired on by artillery and helicopters en route to Rostov. He said he thought he had the support of the Russian people for what he calls his “march of justice”. These claims have not be independently verified.

Putin’s prestige, power, maybe even his life, are on the line

Fifteen months ago, Vladimir Putin’s army was on the outskirts of Kyiv. Now the Russian leader is struggling to maintain control in Moscow. The rebellion of Wagner forces, led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, is the final confirmation of how catastrophically wrong this war has gone for Putin. Even if the Russian leader prevails in the immediate battle against Wagner, it is hard to believe that Putin can ultimately survive this kind of humiliation . . .

A really interesting piece of analysis from Gideon Rachman

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said “no lie can hide” Russia’s chaos and said the armed mutiny showed “full-scale weakness” in the country.

Posting on Twitter, Zelenskiy said: “Everyone who chooses the path of evil destroys himself. Who sends columns of troops to destroy the lives of another country and cannot stop them from fleeing and betraying when life resists.

“Who terrorizes with missiles, and when they are shot down, humiliates himself to receive Shahed drones. Who despises people and throws hundreds of thousands into the war, in order to eventually barricade himself in the Moscow region from those whom he himself armed.”

Russian army helicopters have open fired on a Wagner military convoy on the M4 highway outside the southern city of Voronezh, Reuters reports, citing a witness.

Ukraine calls on international community to ‘abandon false neutrality’ to ‘put an end to evil’ of Putin’s regime

Ukraine’s foreign minister has called on the international community to “abandon false neutrality” and give his country the weapons it needs to “put an end to the evil” of Putin’s regime.

Posting on Twitter, Dmytro Kuleba said it was time to “give Ukraine all the needed weapons; forget about friendship or business with Russia”.

Citizens in Moscow appear to be phlegmatic about the unfolding situation judging from this vox pop supplied by our video team . . .

Wagner movement and a burning fuel tank have been reported in Russia’s Voronezh region

A Wagner mercenary military column of vehicles drove past the Russian city of Voronezh on Saturday afternoon, a Reuters witness said. One of the vehicles was a flatbed truck carrying a tank.

Earlier on Saturday, the governor of the Voronezh region said emergency services were trying to put out a burning fuel tank at an oil depot. More than 100 firefighters and 30 units of equipment were working at the site, Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

A Russian security source told Reuters that Wagner fighters had taken control of military facilities in the city of Voronezh, about 500km (310 miles) south of Moscow. Reuters could not independently confirm that assertion.

The Ukrainian newspaper Kyiv Post reported the Russian air force had struck a fuel depot amid the armed uprising by Wagner.

Vladimir Putin addressed the nation on Saturday morning after mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his troops reached the key Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

The Russian leader said the move by the Wagner group had blocked civilian and military governing bodies in the southern city. Mr Putin warned that his country is now facing “the toughest battle for its future”. He said the mutiny amounted to “a deadly threat to our statehood”, and vowed “tough actions” in response.

For months, Prigozhin has railed against Russia’s military leaders. He has lambasted the defence minister, Sergei Shoigu ‚and commander in chief, Valery Gerasimov, accusing them of bungling and incompetence over the war in Ukraine.

In one video Prigozhin blamed Moscow for the deaths of soldiers from his Wagner mercenary unit. Their bodies were piled up behind him. In a letter, he challenged Shoigu to visit the bloody Ukrainian frontline for himself, where Wagner troops have been fighting and dying in the eastern city of Bakhmut.

The Prigozhin-Shoigu feud appeared to be real. But in Putin’s opaque system – more of an Ottoman court than a western-style government – it was hard to tell. For more than two decades Putin has played the role of supreme arbiter-in-chief, playing off one ambitious Kremlin faction against another.

Ukraine reaction: ‘A sign of the collapse of the ruling regime’

In a comment to Ukraine’s state news agency Suspilne, the spokesman of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence, Andriy Yusov said the actions of the Wagner group in Russia are a “continuation of intra-Russian conflicts” that are a consequence of the military aggression of the Russian authorities against Ukraine.

‘’This is a sign of the collapse of the ruling regime, and such processes will intensify’', he added.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a key adviser to the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said: “Events are developing according to the scenario we talked about all last year.

“The start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive finally destabilised the Russian elites, intensifying the internal split that arose after the defeat in Ukraine. Today we are actually witnessing the beginning of a civil war,” he claimed.

“Prigozhin’s group captures military facilities, headquarters and entire cities, meeting almost no resistance on their way, disarming random soldiers and policemen,” said Podolyak.

“Putin declares Prigozhin a traitor and an outlaw and announces appropriate orders to the special services, but nothing happens – a management crisis, a de facto loss of power. At the same time, ‘Wagner’ continues its march to Moscow. Ukraine continues to move along its own path. To the borders of 1991.”

‘For a long time Wagner were regarded as scruffy mercenaries. Western armies have finally woken up’

Yevgeny Prigozhin was, like Russian president Vladimir Putin, a street fighter in his youth in Leningrad in the former Soviet Union. He served nine years of a 13-year prison sentence for robbery, became a gangster and restaurant owner, government contractor, caterer to Putin, warlord, media mogul and propagandist.

These days Prigozhin rules over the Wagner mercenary group that has earned a sinister reputation in Ukraine, Africa and the Middle East ...

Read Lara Marlowe’s article from March 2023 on Wagner, which has an estimated 50,000 mercenaries in Ukraine

Prigozhin has responded to Putin’s televised address ...

In an audio note Prigozhin said the president “was deeply mistaken” in calling him a traitor.

“No one is going to turn themselves in at the request of the president ... We don’t want the country to continue to live in corruption and lies,” he added.

“We are patriots, and those who are against us are the ones who gathered around the bastards,” Prigozhin concluded.

The audio message marks the first time that Prigozhin has directly spoken out against the Russian president.

Russia’s Wagner Group: the tale of a warlord and his lawyers. This piece, from earlier in the year, examines the Wagner Group and how Yevgeny Prigozhin has used prominent legal firms around the world to try to keep western governments at bay

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Saturday his forces were ready to help put down a mutiny by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and to use harsh methods if necessary.

Kadyrov in a statement called Prigozhin’s behaviour “a knife in the back” and called on Russian soldiers not to give in to any “provocations”.

Reaction is coming in from other European leaders – ‘monitoring’ and ‘following’ the general theme:

Polish president Andrzej Duda tweeted: “In connection with the situation in Russia, this morning we held consultations with the prime minister and the ministry of defence, as well as with allies. The course of events beyond our eastern border is monitored on an ongoing basis.”

The Élysée Palace said President Emmanuel Macron is following the situation in Russia closely. “We stay focused on the support to Ukraine,” the Élysée said.

German government spokesman: “We are monitoring events in Russia closely.”

Italian prime minister’s office: “Prime Minister Meloni is closely following events in Russia, which show that its assault on Ukraine is causing instability within Russia.”

Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas has strengthened security on the Russian border and urged her people not to travel to any part of Russia. She posted on Twitter: “Estonia is closely following the development of the situation in Russia and exchanging information with allies.”

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak said he is in touch with allies about the armed rebellion, which UK defence officials have described as “the most significant challenge” to the Kremlin in recent times. – Agencies

And Belarus has been briefed too, according to Reuters:

Vladimir Putin on Saturday briefed Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko on the situation in Russia, according to a message posted on the Belarusian presidency’s official Telegram channel.

Our Washington Correspondent Martin Wall reports that the United States said it is monitoring the situation in Russia.

The National Security Council said the US would be consulting with allies and partners on developments. President Joe Biden has been briefed.

‘Most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times’

Britain’s defence ministry said on Saturday that the Russian state was facing its greatest security challenge of recent times, following what it said appeared to be a move by Wagner Group mercenary forces towards Moscow.

“Over the coming hours, the loyalty of Russia’s security forces, and especially the Russian National Guard, will be key to how this crisis plays out,” Britain’s defence ministry said in a regular intelligence update.

“This represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times,” it added.

Britain said Wagner Group forces had crossed from Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine to Russia in at least two locations, and had “almost certainly” occupied key security sites in Rostov-on-Don, including the headquarters which runs Russian military operations in Ukraine.

“Further Wagner units are moving north through Voronezh Oblast, almost certainly aiming to get to Moscow,” Britain said.

“With very limited evidence of fighting between Wagner and Russian security forces, some have likely remained passive, acquiescing to Wagner,” the defence ministry added.

Here’s some background information on latest events:

Wagner group commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has claimed he is inside Russian army headquarters in Rostov-on-Don. More extraordinarily, the chief of the mercenary group claimed his fighters were in control of the city’s military sites.

Those claims cannot be independently verified and Prigozhin has a history of making outlandish and inaccurate statements.

However, it is clear that the situation in the southern Russian city is precarious – and that turmoil in the region that is so strategically important to Moscow could have far-reaching ramifications for the conflict in Ukraine.

What has happened?

On Friday, Prigozhin accused Russian troops of launching a rocket attack that killed scores of his fighters. In what marked a serious escalation in the feud between the Wagner boss and top Russian military commanders, Prigozhin said his forces would march on Rostov.

In the hours that followed, unverified video and images on social media showed armed men on the streets of Rostov, around the regional police headquarters and in tanks positioned outside the headquarters of the local military command.

The governor of the region the city is located in has asked people to refrain from travelling to the city centre and, if possible, not to leave their homes.

By early Saturday morning, Prigozhin had released a video in which he claimed to be inside Rostov’s main military command and in control.

Why is Rostov significant?

Rostov-on-Don is the largest city in southern Russia and is the capital of the Rostov region that adjoins parts of eastern Ukraine where the war is raging.

The city – just 100km (60 miles) from Ukraine’s border – is home to the Russian southern military district command, whose 58th Combined Arms Army is fighting against Kyiv’s counteroffensive in southern Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War thinktank.

Rostov also houses the command centre for the Russian joint group of forces in Ukraine as a whole and is therefore a critical logistical hub for the Russian army.

Any threats to the Russian military’s presence there is likely to have ramifications on some critical aspects of the war effort, the ISW says.

What does this mean for the conflict in Ukraine?

Despite claiming to be in control of Rostov’s military sites, Prigozhin has said his operation will not impede Russia’s war effort.

In his statement early on Saturday morning, Prigozhin said his fighters were in control of an aerodrome, but that planes taking part in the Ukraine offensive “are leaving as normal” from the airfield.

“We took [the aerodrome] under control so that the attack aviation did not strike us, but strike Ukrainians,” Prigozhin said.

In a separate, unverified video, Prigozhin was seen telling military officials that his mercenaries would “not interfere with them commanding troops” but that their orders in Ukraine were leading to huge losses.

“We came here to stop the disgrace in the country that we live in,” Prigozhin said, before adding: “We are saving Russia.”

Russia’s FSB security service has opened a criminal case for armed mutiny against Mr Prigozhin after the head of the Wagner mercenary group accused the Russian military of targeting his forces and vowed to “destroy” his rivals.

In an extraordinary series of audio clips released late on Friday, Mr Prigozhin claimed that a rocket attack in the Russian region of Rostov had killed scores of his fighters, vowing to take “revenge” and “stop the evil brought by the military leadership of the country”.

The FSB said Prigozhin’s statements and actions were “in fact a call to start an armed civil conflict on the territory of the Russian Federation and a stab in the back to Russian servicemen fighting pro-fascist Ukrainian forces”.

It urged Wagner fighters “not to make irreparable mistakes, to stop any forceful actions against the Russian people, not to carry out the criminal and treacherous orders of Prigozhin, and to take measures to detain him”.

Mr Prigozhin said in a new video message that all military sites in the Russian city of Rostov are under the Wagner mercenary group’s control, Reuters reported.