Power struggle in Russia
Mercenary Chief: Have occupied military facilities in Rostov
The authorities in Moscow are investigating him for calling for an armed uprising: mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. photo
© AP/dpa
Russian mercenary boss Prigozhin claims to have taken control of important military installations in southern Russia. The Kremlin is alarmed – and announces a speech by President Putin.
The Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his troops have occupied important military objects in Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, according to their own statements. “Military facilities in Rostov are under our control, including the airfield,” Prigozhin said in a published video.
He claimed that in the city in the border region with Ukraine, his fighters also controlled the headquarters of the Russian army for the south of the country. This could not initially be checked independently. There was no comment from the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin announced a speech by President Vladimir Putin. The head of state will shortly address the public, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the state news agency TASS.
Prigozhin also said in the video that fighter planes for the war against Ukraine continued to take off from the Rostov airfield as planned. “The planes (…) take off on schedule.” The head of Russia’s private army, Wagner, who plays a central role in Moscow’s war against Ukraine, had previously openly opposed the military leadership.
A video has also appeared on social networks that is said to show Prigozhin with Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov. In it you can hear how the mercenary boss threatens to advance to Moscow if Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov should hide from him.
The authorities in Moscow are investigating Prigozhin for calling for an armed uprising. The domestic secret service FSB called on the Wagner mercenaries to arrest Prigozhin. The Kremlin in Moscow announced that President Vladimir Putin would be kept informed about the situation. Security precautions have been significantly expanded in the Russian capital. Military vehicles had been in the city center during the night.