Mutinous Russian mercenary fighters have advanced towards Moscow after seizing a southern city overnight, with Russia’s military firing on them from the air but seemingly incapable of slowing their lightning advance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says an “armed mutiny” by the Wagner Group is treason, adding that “decisive action” will be taken against them.
The authorities in Moscow and the surrounding area say they have declared a “counterterrorism” state of emergency after Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed his forces were in control of military sites in Rostov.
Earlier, Prigozhin accused Russia’s top military leadership of ordering a rocket attack on Wagner’s field camps in Ukraine, where “huge numbers” of his fighters had been killed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says “Russia’s weakness is obvious” and that the longer Moscow keeps its troops and mercenaries in Ukraine, the more chaos it would invite back home.
France advises citizens against all travel to Russia
Ukraine tells US its counteroffensive ‘going according to plan’
Kyiv’s military commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny has told the US chairman of the joint chiefs General Mark Milley that Ukraine’s counteroffensive against invading Russian troops “was going according to plan”.
“We discussed in detail the situation along the entire frontline,” Zaluzhny posted on official social media on Saturday. “I told him about the offensive and offensive actions of our units. I informed him that the operation is going in accordance with the plan.
“I also told him about the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in certain types of weapons and demining assets.
France advised against all travel to Russia given the “high volatility” of the military and security situation in the country, its foreign ministry has said on its website.
Scenes at Rostov-on-Don taken by Wagner forces
President Vladimir Putin has vowed to crush what he called an armed mutiny after rebellious mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had taken control of Rostov-on-Don, the capital of Russia’s southern region of Rostov.
Rostov-on-Don, a city which lies more than 1,000km (660 miles) south of Moscow, is the base for the military headquarters of Russian operations in Ukraine.
Rostov is Russia’s second-largest grain producing region and home to the Don River ports, which connect vessels exporting grain with the Azov Sea.
UK holds emergency meeting on risks to citizens in Russia
The British government’s emergency committee, known as COBR, has met to discuss the latest developments in Russia and the risks to British citizens there, a government 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,” a government spokesperson said.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also took part in a meeting with counterparts from the Group of Seven major advanced economies.
The United Kingdom also repeated its advice that its citizens should not travel to any part of Russia and that those already there should leave.
“If your presence in Russia is not essential, we strongly advise that you consider leaving by remaining commercial routes,” the UK said in a travel advisory.
Wagner forces promised amnesty if they disarm – TASS cites Russian lawmaker
Wagner mercenaries have been promised an amnesty if they lay down their weapons but they need to act fast, Russia’s state-owned TASS news agency has cited a lawmaker as saying.
“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 quoted the lawmaker, Pavel Krasheninnikov, as saying on Saturday.
Russia warns West against using Wagner crisis for own goals
Russia’s foreign ministry has warned Western countries against using the Wagner mercenary group’s mutiny “to achieve their Russophobic goals”.
Erdogan says Turkey ready to help with ‘peaceful resolution’ in Russia
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey was ready to help seek a “peaceful resolution” to an armed rebellion in Russia, in a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, his office said.
Erdogan “underlined the importance of acting with common sense,” the presidency said in a statement. “President Erdogan said that we, as Turkey, are ready to do our part for the peaceful resolution of events in Russia as soon as possible.”
Authorities in Kaluga region south of Moscow introduce travel restrictions
Russian authorities in the Kaluga region south of Moscow have introduced travel restrictions as Wagner mercenary units marched on the capital to remove the country’s military leadership.
“Please refrain from travelling by private vehicle on these roads unless absolutely necessary,” Governor Vladislav Shapsha said in a statement on social media on Saturday, referring to transport arteries between his region and several others, including those bordering Ukraine.
Latvia tightens border security in response to Russian crisis
Latvia’s president-elect has said the Baltic state 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 Rinkevics 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 had already last year stopped issuing new visas to Russian citizens, but it had until now made an exception for humanitarian visas.
Wagner forces ‘moving across’ Lipetsk region en route to Moscow: Governor
Russian mutineering Wagner mercenaries were “moving across” the Lipetsk region some 400 kilometres (250 miles) south of Moscow, the governor has said, en route to Moscow after pledging to overthrow Russia’s military leadership.
“Hardware of the Wagner mercenary group is moving across the territory of the Lipetsk region,” Governor Igor Artamonov said on Telegram. “I remind you that residents are strongly recommended not to leave their houses or to make trips on any mode of transport.”
Foreign governments react as Wagner rebellion escalates
Governments around the world are closely watching the events rapidly unfolding in Russia, where a mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group has posed the most serious challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s long rule.
Internal disputes in Russia ‘a gift to the collective West’: Belarus
Russia’s close ally Belarus has said that the armed insurrection under way by the Wagner mercenary group was a “gift” to Western countries, warning the uprising could spell “disaster”.
“Any provocation, any internal conflict in military or political circles, in the information field or in civil society is a gift to the collective West,” the Belarusian foreign ministry said, citing a statement by Minsk’s Security Council.
The council reiterated that Minsk remained an ally of Russia.
US to coordinate with allies amid Wagner crisis
Washington will stay “in close coordination” with its Group of Seven allies amid the unfolding crisis in Russia, where Wagner mercenaries launched a mutiny, officials have said.
Department of State Spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement that support for Ukraine “will not change”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said he spoke with G7 foreign ministers and the EU high representative for foreign affairs.
“The United States will stay in close coordination with allies and partners as the situation continues to develop,” Blinken wrote on Twitter.
Iran says it supports ‘rule of law’ in Russia
Iran supports the rule of law in the Russian Federation and considers the latest developments there an internal Russian matter, Iranian state media quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani as saying on Saturday.
Could Ukraine take advantage of Wagner crisis?
Speaking to Al Jazeera from London, Jamie Shea, an associate fellow at Chatham House, a UK-based think tank, says whether Ukraine will be able to take military advantage of the situation in Russia depends on how Moscow handles the situation.
“A lot depends on what plays out in Russia over the next few hours and days. And the extent to which Prigozhin having sort of started this mutiny as Putin calls it, is really able to sort of turn it into an effective result, maybe persuading more of the Russian army to desert to his calls. There’s no sign of that happening at the moment” he said.
“Let’s keep our feet on the ground. Russia still has 390,000 troops in Ukraine, which is enormous,” he added.
Russian soldiers set up machine gun position on Moscow outskirts: Report
Russian soldiers have set up a machine gun position on the southwest edge of Moscow, according to photographs published by the Vedomosti newspaper.
Photographs also showed armed police gathering at the point where the M4 highway – which mutinous Wagner mercenaries are moving along – reaches the Russian capital.
Wagner fighters took Rostov army HQ without firing a shot: Prigozhin
Mutinous Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin says his troops did not need to fire a single shot when they took control of the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District in Rostov.
However, 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”.
Prigozhin using ‘takeover of Rostov facility as form of a bargaining chip’
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a UK-based think tank, says Yevgeny Prigozhin may be using the takeover of military facilities as a bargaining chip.
“He is using the takeover of Rostov facility as form of a bargaining chip. He is threatening to make a large advance on Moscow. He is using the threat of further military incursions and possible defections from the Russian National Guard as a bargaining chip,” Ramani said.
“I’m really sceptical he will get the level of leverage necessary to overturn power in Moscow because so many of his recruitment routes have been cut off,” he added.
Pro-war nationalists in Russia say will publish action plan to protect country
Pro-war Russian nationalists led by a former FSB security service officer say they will soon publish a plan of action to respond to an armed mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group.
The Russian nationalist group, known as the “Club of Angry Patriots”, said in a statement that a civil war could lead to a humiliating military defeat for the Russian army in Ukraine and warned that Russia was on the brink of catastrophe.
‘Spitting on soldiers’ graves’: Russians react to Wagner mutiny
The Russian-Ukrainian war took an unexpected turn on Saturday after the head of the Wagner Group, which has played a prominent role in the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine, called for a rebellion against Russia’s top military brass.
Supporters of the Russian government decried the mutiny and urged for unity.
“It’s a tough time, I didn’t think I’d live to see this,” said pro-Kremlin pundit and talk show host Vladimir Solovyov in a video address to his million-plus Telegram followers.
“[Wagner’s] 25,000 men would be very useful at the front for the march on Lviv, Kyiv and if necessary, even further. But when you look at what’s going on, you ask yourself, how did this happen?”
“The enemy is there, in Ukraine. We need to be fighting with Ukro-fascism. Stop, before it’s too late. There’s nothing scarier than civil war.”
Putin working in the Kremlin as mutiny continues: Spokesman
Putin is working as usual in the Kremlin, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency, after Wagner units claimed to have captured military installations in southern Russia.
The Russian president earlier accused Wagner of treason in a national televised address, after the paramilitary fighters crossed the border from Ukraine into Russia, entering the city of Rostov-on-Don.
Russian military helicopters open fire on Wagner convoy
Russian military helicopters have opened fire on a convoy of Wagner mercenaries already more than halfway towards Moscow, Reuters reported, in a lightning advance after seizing the southern city of Rostov-on-Don overnight.
A Reuters journalist saw army helicopters open fire at an armed Wagner column that was advancing past the city of Voronezh with troop carriers and at least one tank on a flatbed truck.
The city is more than halfway along the 1,100km (680-mile) highway from Rostov to Moscow.
