Power struggle in Russia
Moscow declares an anti-terror emergency
Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group, during a video speech. photo
© Uncredited/Prigozhin Press Service/AP/dpa
The power struggle between mercenary chief Prigozhin and the Russian military escalates. An anti-terrorist emergency is declared in Moscow. Putin wants to address the nation.
In view of the armed uprising by the Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, the authorities in Moscow and the surrounding area have declared an anti-terrorist emergency. “In order to prevent possible terrorist attacks in the city and region of Moscow, a regime of counter-terrorist operations has been introduced,” the national anti-terrorist committee said on Saturday. Safety precautions have been tightened. A state of emergency was also declared in the Voronezh region in the southwest on the border with Ukraine. Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin announced an upcoming speech.
The anti-terror emergency allows the Russian authorities to step up controls and make arrests easier. Telephone conversations can also be intercepted. However, it was initially unclear what specific measures were to be taken in Moscow and Voronezh. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin had previously announced “anti-terrorist measures”. In the metropolis with more than 13 million inhabitants, increased traffic controls have already been introduced, it said. Military vehicles were also on the move in the city center during the night.
Prigozhin threatens retaliation
On Friday evening, the head of Wagner’s private army, Yevgeny Prigozhin, accused the Russian military leadership of attacking a camp of its mercenary troops with artillery, helicopters and rockets, killing many of his men. He threatened retaliation. According to Prigozhin, the Wagner troops managed to occupy military facilities in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. The army headquarters for the south of the country is located there. Law enforcement authorities are investigating Prigozhin for armed insurgency.
For months, a dispute between Wagner boss Prigozhin – actually a confidant of Putin – and the military leadership has been escalating. The mercenary leader accuses the Defense Ministry of poor leadership in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and has repeatedly sharply criticized Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in particular. The war against the neighboring country has already lasted 16 months.