Prigozhin Claims Wagner Forces Are ‘Entering Rostov,’ Ready to ‘Destroy’

Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin says that his forces have crossed into Russia with intentions to “destroy” anyone standing in their path to Moscow.

Prigozhin on Friday announced that he was “declaring war on the Russian Ministry of Defense,” following an alleged attack on his mercenaries in Ukraine. Despite fighting alongside Moscow’s forces in Ukraine, the paramilitary leader has been a frequent critic of Russian military leadership, having shown particular disdain for Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Early Saturday morning, Prigozhin claimed in an audio recording shared to Telegram that his forces had “crossed state borders in all areas,” alleging that his fighters faced no resistance and were instead “hugged” by border guards. He claimed that the alleged attack on his forces had been ordered by Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.

Newsweek has not independently verified any of Prigozhin’s claims, with local media outlets also having failed to confirm the report of his mercenary troops crossing the border at the time of publication.

Visitors wearing military camouflage stand at the entrance of the PMC Wagner Centre, associated with Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on November 4, 2022. Prigozhin says his mercenaries have crossed into Russia on a mission to “destroy” anyone blocking their path to Moscow. Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty

“As of now, we’ve crossed the state borders in all areas,” Prigozhin said, according to a translation from the WarTranslated project. “Border guards came towards us and hugged our fighters. Now, we’re entering Rostov. Units of the Ministry of Defense, in fact, the conscripts who were thrown to block our path, moved away.”

The mercenary leader went on to accuse the Russian military of “killing children.” He alleged that Shoigu was “throwing untrained soldiers, conscripts included, into the war” in Ukraine and was attempting to use “18-year-old lads” to resist his purported attack, while warning that his forces would “destroy” any resistance.

“We do not fight with children,” Prigozhin said. “We only fight with professionals. But if someone stands in our path, we will destroy EVERYTHING in our way. … We are moving forward, going to the end.”

In another audio message, Prigozhin denounced “speculations” that his alleged attack on the Russian military was interfering with the war effort in Ukraine, arguing that his focus was only on “criminals saving their a****,” specifically naming Shoigu and Gerasimov.

Prigozhin claimed that a Russian helicopter fired at his convoy a short time later, before being shot down by Wagner forces. The claim has not been verified by local media or Newsweek.

In a statement shared on Telegram, Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev did not confirm that any Wagner forces were in the area but urged residents to stay indoors and stressed that “concentration” was required to “maintain order” and safety.

“The current situation requires the maximum concentration of all forces to maintain order,” Golubev said. “Law enforcement agencies do everything necessary to ensure the safety of residents of the region. I ask everyone to remain calm and not leave the house unnecessarily.”

In Ukraine, multiple Russian air attacks were reported. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged residents to remain in shelters following explosions and the activation of air raid sirens, according to The New York Times.

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