Did Wagner Group Take Over Military Headquarters? What We Know

Videos purporting to show the Wagner Group seizing Russian military headquarters in Rostov have emerged after organization founder Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed to have taken the first step in his “war” against the Russian defense ministry.

In an audio statement early Saturday morning, Prigozhin said that his mercenary forces were “entering Rostov” without resistance. Hours earlier, on Friday, he claimed that he was “declaring war on the Russian Ministry of Defense” in retaliation for an alleged attack on his forces positioned in Ukraine.

A short time later, video showed unidentified troops surrounding the Russian Southern Military District headquarters in Rostov, which has played a key role in orchestrating the Russian war in Ukraine. Multiple experts claimed that the video showed Wagner troops taking control of the building.

The Wagner Group headquarters in Saint Petersburg, Russia, is pictured on November 4, 2022. Videos purporting to show members of the paramilitary group taking over Russian military headquarters in Rostov on Saturday morning have appeared online. OLGA MALTSEVA/AFP

“Those are not Russian National Guard troops,” Alexander Vindman, the Ukrainian-born former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, tweeted alongside a video of the building being surrounded by troops. “That looks like Wagner troops entering the SMD HQ.”

“The question of why Prigozhin head to Rostov rather than Moscow is answered by the storming of the SMD HQ,” Vindman added. “It it the most strategic target in the South of Russia if you’re targeting the Ministry of Defense. Now that Prigozhin has the HQ does he consolidate or move on.”

Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, also commented on the video shared to Twitter.

“Wow,” McFaul tweeted. “This is a moment (albeit still small and short) of what Trotsky and Tilly called “dual power” — 2 groups each claiming sovereignty over the same territory- 1917, 1991, 1993, 2023.”

“Yep, it’s for real, at least for now,” he wrote in response to a person questioning the veracity of the footage. “Footage from Rostov is quite shocking. Wagner appears in control of this major city.”

The Open Source Intelligence Monitor Twitter account offered additional commentary on the images, saying that it appeared Wagner Group forces were surrounding the building but were joined by members of the Russian military.

“These do appear to be Elements of the Wagner Group outside of the Southern Military District Headquarters, but some of the Soldiers are also wearing ‘Rosgvardia’ Patches and National Guard/Military Trucks can be seen which makes this Extremely Confusing,” the account tweeted.

A local Rostov media report did not confirm that the Wagner Group had taken control of military headquarters but said that “people in camouflage” were surrounding the headquarters and other Russian government buildings.

The buildings that the unnamed troops were surrounding reportedly included the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), the police department and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In a statement posted to Telegram, Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev urged residents to stay indoors and avoid the city center due to “the current situation.”

“Dear compatriots!” wrote Golubev. “In connection with the current situation, please refrain from trips to the city center and, if possible, do not leave your homes.”

Prigozhin, after saying that he had crossed into Rostov earlier Saturday morning, claimed that a Russian helicopter had fired at his convoy before being shot down by Wagner forces.

Videos posted to social media that purportedly showed armored vehicles and helicopters convening in the area were reportedly confirmed via geolocation as being taken in central Rostov, according to CNN.

Additional unconfirmed videos shared online later purportedly showed Wagner forces engaging with the Russian military in Voronezh, hundreds of miles from Rostov, on the road to Moscow.

“I’ve made the drive from Rostov to Moscow at least a dozen times,” Vindman tweeted. “Voronezh is more than halfway to Moscow. If reports of Wagner fighting in Voronezh are accurate, then they are hours away from Moscow.”

Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense via email for comment.