Wagner’s armed rebellion dramatically called off its march towards Moscow on Saturday as it abandoned a coup that saw soldiers take control of the military headquarters in both Rostov and Voronezh.
Rogue Russian mercenary fighters had their efforts labelled as “treason” by Vladimir Putin after the shock advance that began on Friday evening.
The mutiny, called off when troops were just four hours from the Russian capital in a deal brokered by Belarus, marked one of the most explosive episodes in the country’s war saga to date.
The move came after the group’s leader Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Kremlin of deliberately bombing Wagner troops in Bakhmut.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence has called the instalment “the most significant challenge to the Russian state” in a series of events that are set to put the city firmly on the map.
Rostov-on-Don, also known as simply Rostov, is the largest city in southern Russia and sits about 100km from the eastern Ukraine border.
The population is about one million people and Rostov also houses Russia’s southern military district command and the 58th Combined Arms Army, which is currently engaged in major counteroffensive efforts against Ukraine.
Rostov sits almost directly south of Moscow with approximately 1161 km separating the two cities.
Despite the distance, a triumphant Prigozhin had said the Wagner fighters’ sights were firmly set on the Russian capital before the 11th hour- climb down to avoid “blood being spilled”.
An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is seen on a street of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don on Satuday— (REUTERS)
By Saturday afternoon, Wagner troops were inching closer to Moscow after claiming control of military headquarters in Voronezh, a city about halfway between Rostov and Moscow.
Prigozhin has said his forces have been attacked by artillery and helicopters since he launched the rogue efforts.
However, Putin said the Priogozhin’s “armed mutiny” amounted to treason and was a “mortal blow” to Russia’s troops.
Wagner’s taking of Rostov is significant as the city serves as a main rear logistical hub for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, particularly in the country’s east.
Increased security measures have been introduced across the capital and its famous Red Square has become blocked off by metal barriers.
In one video posted on Saturday morning, Prigozhin said he was at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov and demanded Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the country’s top general Valery Gerasimov come to meet him.
“We have arrived here, we want to receive the chief of the general staff and Shoigu,” Prigozhin said.
Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Kremlin of deliberately bombing Wagner troops— (GREY ZONE TELEGRAM, PRIGOZHIN PRESS SERVICE)
“Unless they come, we’ll be here, we’ll blockade the city of Rostov and head for Moscow.
Prigozhin said in another video multiple military sites in Rostov, including the airfield, were under Wagner’s control.
