Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has spoken to Western allies about the armed rebellion led by the Wagner group in Russia, before the growing crisis for Vladimir Putin appeared to be defused by the mercenaries halting their advance on Moscow.
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin told his forces to turn back to avoid “bloodshed” at the end of an extraordinary day during which he vowed to topple Russia’s military leadership, seized a southern Russian city and sent a convoy towards the capital.
The sudden move averting a descent into civil war followed negotiations with the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who said he had agreed the conversation with Mr Putin.
Earlier, as the mercenaries headed towards Moscow and authorities prepared defences, Mr Sunak held talks with fellow leaders about what UK defence officials described as “the most significant challenge” to the Kremlin in recent times.
The Prime Minister spoke to US president Joe Biden, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday afternoon “to discuss the situation in Russia and reiterate their continuing support for Ukrainian sovereignty”, Downing Street said.
It followed a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee chaired by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who also joined a call with fellow G7 foreign ministers to discuss the fast-moving situation.
The Prime Minister urged all parties involved in the Russian infighting to protect civilian lives.
“We’re keeping a close eye on the situation, as it’s evolving on the ground as we speak,” Mr 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.”
Mr Sunak said he was “in touch with our allies”, adding “as you would expect us to be co-ordinated on a situation like this”.
After his call with counterparts, a No 10 spokesperson said: “The leaders have agreed to stay in close contact in the coming days.”
Pressed on advice for British nationals remaining in Russia, Mr Sunak said the UK has “had long-standing travel advice against travel to Russia” and “people should keep checking the Foreign Office website for updates”.
Mr Cleverly tweeted that “we are monitoring the situation carefully and liaising closely with our allies” and “we continue to urge British citizens to follow FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) travel advice”.
An FCDO spokesperson said: “The Foreign Secretary has chaired a meeting of COBR to update on the latest situation, particularly with respect to British nationals in Russia.”
In the morning, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that “over the coming hours, the loyalty of Russia’s security forces… will be key to how the crisis plays out” as Wagner forces moved towards the Russian capital.
In its daily intelligence briefing, the department said the feud between the Wagner group and the Russian defence ministry “escalated into outright military confrontation” in the early hours of Saturday.
“In an operation characterised by Prigozhin as a ‘march for freedom’, Wagner Group forces crossed from occupied Ukraine into Russia in at least two locations,” the MoD said.
It said that in the city of Rostov-on-Don near the Ukrainian border, “Wagner has almost certainly occupied key security sites”, including the Russian military headquarters that oversees the fighting in Ukraine.
Units were “almost certainly aiming to get to Moscow”, according to the MoD.
“Over the coming hours, the loyalty of Russia’s security forces, and especially the Russian National Guard, will be key to how the crisis plays out.
“This represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times.”
Mr Putin called the rebellion a “betrayal” in a televised address but Mr Prigozhin denied the claim and called his fighters “patriots”.
Before turning back, the mercenaries had moved north towards Moscow throughout the day, with the governor of Lipetsk province, around 225 miles south of the capital, confirming they were crossing the region.
Wagner troops have been fighting alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine and succeeded in taking the eastern city of Bakhmut, where the bloodiest and longest battles have raged.
But Mr Prigozhin has stepped up his criticism of Russia’s military leadership, accusing it of botching the war and shelling his fighters.
The rebellion could further hamper Moscow’s war effort as the early stages of a Ukrainian counter-offensive unfold.
Amid the rapidly evolving events in Russia, Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky said Moscow is suffering “full-scale weakness”.
