Russia uprising updates from June 24: Wagner agrees deal to end armed uprising, Warlord Prigozhin to leave Russia for Belarus
Belarus #Belarus
Zelenskyy adviser mocks Wagner chief Prigozhin for failing to oust Putin
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s adviser mocked Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group of mercenaries, for failing to oust Russian president Vladimir Putin.
“You almost nullified Putin, took control of the central authorities, reached Moscow and suddenly . . . you retreat,” tweeted Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser in the Ukrainian president’s administration.
Prigozhin agreed to leave Russia for Belarus as part of a deal on Saturday, brokered by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, to end the warlord’s armed uprising.
“Although not without benefit: Prigozhin humiliated Putin/the state and showed that there is no longer a monopoly on violence,” Podolyak wrote.
What has happened so far today
The main developments so far
Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin said his Wagner mercenary group had agreed to stand down its attempted coup attempt and that his convoy of troops, weapons and tanks would stop their journey towards Moscow.
Following the deal, fighters for Wagner group began pulling out from the headquarters of Russia’s southern military command in Rostov, which had been captured earlier in the day-long crisis.
Ukraine’s deputy defence minister said Kyiv’s troops had “launched an offensive in several directions at the same time” on Saturday, apparently seizing an opportunity to counterattack against Russia’s forces as it contended with Wagner group’s attempted coup. Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s military said it had retaken territory in the eastern Donetsk province that had been under Russian occupation since the Kremlin’s war against the country began in 2014.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused President Vladimir Putin of being “afraid” and “hiding” as Wagner group’s forces advanced on Moscow.
Russia’s foreign ministry warned western countries not to seek to exploit the attempted coup by Wagner group “to achieve their Russophobic goals”.
Scenes from RussiaKremlin acknowledges goal of ‘escaping bloodshed’ despite ‘difficult’ uprising
Vladimir Putin’s spokesman described Saturday’s uprising as “fairly difficult”, but said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would continue.
Dmitry Peskov said the day-long crisis — during which Wagner mercenaries shot down several army helicopters, captured a major army command post in southern Russia and marched most of the way from the Ukrainian border to Moscow — was “full of tragic events,” but that “there were higher goals of escaping bloodshed and internal confrontation.”
Putin will not make any further comments on the incident, Peskov said, adding that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would continue.
Prigozhin to move to Belarus as part of deal to end Wagner uprising
Yevgeny Prigozhin has agreed to leave Russia for Belarus as part of a deal to end his armed uprising, while charges against him for organising it will be dropped, the Kremlin said on Saturday.
Dmitry Peskov, president Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, said Wagner’s fighters would not be charged “because of their deeds on the front.” He said some Wagner fighters who “came to their senses” and had not taken part in the uprising would sign contracts with the Russian defence ministry.
Despite declaring Prigozhin a “traitor” and vowing to “liquidate” Wagner on Saturday morning, Peskov said Putin had asked Alexander Lukashenko to mediate in the hope of avoiding any further bloodshed because the Belarusian leader has known Prigozhin for 20 years.
Wagner fighters start pulling out from Russian city of Rostov
Wagner paramilitaries loyal to the warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin have begun to leave a major Russian army command point they seized earlier on Saturday after apparently striking a deal to end their armed uprising.
State newswire Tass said Wagner’s fighters had begun to leave the headquarters of Russia’s southern military command in Rostov on Saturday evening as part of a deal to return them to their base camps, struck by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko.
Video posted online by state media and Wagner-affiliated social media channels showed the fighters thanking locals, who cheered, clapped, and chanted in support.
Ukraine defence minister warns Russian troops of step up in counteroffensive
Ukraine’s defence minister has called upon Russian soldiers invading his country to “go home” and “take care of your country,” promising “we won’t shoot in your backs.”
Oleksiy Reznikov, speaking Russian in a social media address, told the soldiers: “you have been lied to and betrayed . . . your war is not here in Ukraine. The war is at your home.”
He said Ukraine’s counteroffensive was about to shift into higher gear, and urged Russian troops in Ukraine to “give hugs to your loved ones” and that “you still have a chance to survive!”
Russia’s Lipetsk region to reopen highways following Wagner turnround
The governor of a Russian province on the route warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin’s armed uprising took to Moscow before apparently turning back on Saturday says officials will begin to roll back security restrictions.
Igor Artamonov, the governor of Lipetsk, said the region would “start to cancel the restrictions introduced today” and reopen federal highways that had been closed to stop the advance of Prigozhin’s Wagner group. He said communal services had already begun rebuilding roads damaged in the advance.
“We all stood up to defend the interests of our country with honour and dignity. Lipetsk region will not let the president and Russia down,” Artamonov posted on social media.
Belarus says Putin thanked Lukashenko for brokering end to uprising
Belarus says Russian president Vladimir Putin thanked its leader Alexander Lukashenko after he appeared to broker a deal to end warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin’s armed uprising.
Lukashenko’s press service said Putin spoke to his Belarusian counterpart at 9pm local time on Saturday.
“The president of Belarus informed the president of Russia in detail about the results of negotiations with the leadership of Wagner PMC. The President of Russia supported and thanked his Belarusian colleague for his work,” it said, without elaborating.
Russia has yet to confirm it struck a deal with Wagner, though Prigozhin has said the group would return to base to avoid what he described as inevitable bloodshed.
Ukraine launches offensive amid power struggle in Russia
Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said Kyiv’s troops had “launched an offensive in several directions at the same time” on Saturday, apparently seizing an opportunity to counterattack against Moscow’s forces while a power struggle was under way in Russia.
“In the direction of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bakhmut, Bohdanivka, Yahidne, Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka . . . There is progress in all directions,” Maliar said.
“The enemy is on the defensive, making great efforts to stop our offensive actions,” she continued. “At the same time, the enemy is suffering significant losses in personnel, weapons and equipment.”
Maliar said that several Russian attacks in the east, backed with heavy artillery and air power, had been repelled.
Prigozhin says Wagner has agreed to stand down
© AP
© APYevgeny Prigozhin said his Wagner mercenary group had agreed to stand down its coup attempt and would return to Ukraine to avoid what he described as inevitable bloodshed.
In a voice memo posted to social media on Saturday evening, Prigozhin said:
We set off on June 23 on our march for justice. In 24 hours we moved 200km to Moscow. During that time we didn’t spill a single drop of blood of our fighters. Right now the moment has come when blood could be spilled. Therefore, understanding all the responsibility for the fact that Russian blood will be spilled on one side, we are turning our convoy around and going back to our basecamps, according to the plan.
The Kremlin did not immediately confirm it had agreed to let Prigozhin’s forces retreat.
Read more on the Prigozhin’s decision here
Belarus claims deal with Prigozhin to end advance on Moscow
Belarus says its leader Alexander Lukashenko has convinced the Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin to stop his advance on Moscow, signalling a possible end to the first coup attempt in Russia in three decades.
Lukashenko’s press service said he spent “the entire day” negotiating with Prigozhin after “agreeing on joint actions” with Putin and “additionally clarifying the situation through his own channels”.
It said Prigozhin had “accepted [Lukashenko’s] request to stop the movement of armed men from the Wagner company on Russian territory and [take] further steps to de-escalate the situation.
“At the moment, there is an absolutely advantageous and acceptable way to defuse the situation on the table, with security guarantees for Wagner’s fighters,” the press service said, without elaborating.
There was no immediate confirmation from Prigozhin or the Kremlin.
Putin is afraid, says Zelenskyy
© AP
© AP Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted President Vladimir Putin for being “afraid” and “hiding” as the Wagner mercenary forces advanced on Moscow, threatening his decades-long grip on power.
“The man from the Kremlin is obviously very afraid and probably hiding somewhere, not showing himself,” Zelenskyy said in Russian, referring to Putin. “[Putin] knows what he is scared of, because he himself created this threat.”
In a video address Zelenskyy said “the world should not be afraid” and called for further support from western allies, saying Europe’s eastern flank is defended by Ukraine.
“We know what protects us — our unity. Ukraine will definitely be able to protect Europe from any Russian forces, no matter who commands them,” he said.
Russia will be ‘forever scrambled’ says US senator
Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator on the Senate foreign relations committee, said Russia will be “forever scrambled” after the events of this weekend, whether Vladimir Putin survives or not, and that it will cause countries that have sided with Russia to reassess.
Prigozhin believes that he has the Russian people on his side, Murphy said, but cautioned that the force he is moving towards Moscow is small and it is unclear what backing he has.
“A civil war inside Russia is potentially cataclysmic,” he said. “The United States needs to let this play out and not appear as if we are meddling or taking sides. Our first priority is protecting US citizens and our friends in Ukraine.”
Wagner convoy faces test at Oka river
The scores of Wagner trucks, armoured vehicles and troop carriers heading north to Moscow face roadblocks and Russian army units on critical bridges crossing the Oka river, according to local authorities and social media footage.
The Wagner rebels are expected to attempt to cross the Oka, one of the largest rivers in western Russia, over three major motorway bridges, all of which have been blocked by vehicles and troops from the country’s regular armed forces.
Wagner vehicles were seen roughly 300km south of the Oka river crossings three hours ago.
Each of the Oka bridge crossings is about 100km from the Moscow ring road, where troops have set up armoured checkpoints.
Leaders of US, France, Germany and UK discuss Russia
The leaders of the US, France, Germany and the UK spoke on Saturday about the events in Russia, according to the White House.
The US offered few details of the call as American officials are wary of any appearance of interference.
“The leaders discussed the situation in Russia. They also affirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine,” a White House statement said.
US president Joe Biden was briefed on Saturday morning by his national security team on the events in Russia, including from top military, intelligence and diplomatic officials.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Mark Milley, cancelled a planned trip to Israel and Jordan to stay in Washington and monitor the events in Russia, a US official said
Belarus opposition call on citizens to stay out of Russia’s ‘civil war’
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya © AFP via Getty Images
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya © AFP via Getty Images Belarusian opposition leaders and militia fighters have called on citizens inside Belarus to stay out of Russia’s “civil war” and prepare to fight “dictatorship” in their own country.
“Today, I addressed the Belarusian military and officials. We must not allow our country to be dragged into Russia’s war,” Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian opposition leader in exile, said in a video address published on social media. “It is crucial that we ensure all Russian troops exit Belarus and that we close our border with Russia. We must defend our sovereignty and protect our people.”
A Belarusian fighter from the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment, which is fighting with Ukraine, called on opposition supporters in his home country to be ready to rise up.
“Favourable conditions for the destruction of the dictatorship are rapidly approaching,” he said.
Mutiny ‘will only exacerbate’ Putin’s weakness, says think-tank
A woman poses with a Wagner soldier in Rostov © AFP via Getty Images
A woman poses with a Wagner soldier in Rostov © AFP via Getty Images Even if Yevgeny Prigohzin’s mutiny fails, the crisis “will only exacerbate perceptions of the regime’s weakness, which could proliferate further challenges to Vladimir Putin’s rule in the near future”, according to Andrius Tursa, central and eastern Europe adviser at the Teneo think-tank.
Tursa said that Putin’s “longstanding image as an invincible leader and ultimate guarantor of security and stability in Russia has been gradually undermined by military failures in Ukraine during the past 16 months” and protracted battles between the mercenaries and Russia’s military “could throw the country into chaos”.
He added that if Putin felt obliged to take military action to liberate Rostov it “could prove politically damaging”.
Ukraine-backed Russian militias cheer Prigozhin uprising
Ukraine-backed militias composed of Russian fighters are cheering on the insurrection led by the warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin.
“Soldiers, officers: your hour has come. Unleash your weapons on the towers of the Kremlin, don’t let the internecine strife drown Russia in blood,” the Free Russia Legion tweeted.
“It is time to stop the senseless and brutal killing of Ukrainians and the deaths of thousands of Russians at the front and return home: to where you are needed now.
Denis “White Rex” Nikitin, the far-right commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, also called on supporters in his homeland to rise up against the Kremlin. “We all have a unique chance to determine our fate and the fate of our Motherland!”, he said in a video address published on his Telegram channel on Friday.
Ukraine announces recapture of territory in Donetsk
Ukraine’s military announced on Saturday that it had retaken territory in the eastern Donetsk province that had been under Russian occupation since the Kremlin’s war against the country began in 2014.
“Near Krasnohorivka, the assault units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, as a result of a well-planned counterattack, captured several positions that had been held by the enemy since 2014,” said Valery Shershen, a military spokesperson.
The liberation of land near the town of Krasnohorivka, just 25km west of the regional capital of Donetsk, a Russian military stronghold, comes two weeks into Ukraine’s counteroffensive to wrest back territory occupied by Russia.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, said that his troops were attacking around Bakhmut.
Monday a ‘non-working day’ says Moscow’s mayor
Barriers at Red Square in Moscow © AFP via Getty Images
Barriers at Red Square in Moscow © AFP via Getty Images Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin has made Monday a non-working day in the capital, as a convoy of Wagner fighters and armed vehicles move towards the capital city as part of an attempted uprising.
The convoy could reach the city by midnight tonight local time.
Sobyanin called on Moscow residents to avoid travelling around the capital as much as possible. Some images shared on social media, which could not be verified, have shown soldiers taking positions in parts of the city in preparation for Wagner’s possible arrival.
Separately, Moscow governor Andrei Vorobyov said that mass outdoor events and events in educational organisations, such as school graduations, had been cancelled for a week.
Ukrainian soldiers report no retreat by Russian frontline troops
Multiple Ukrainian soldiers serving on the front line have told the Financial Times there has been no sign of Russian forces retreating amid the uprising by the Wagner mercenary group against Moscow’s military leadership.
“The war continues . . . heavy fighting continues on the front line,” said one member of an elite unit taking part in Ukraine’s weeks-long counteroffensive in the south-east, where Russia occupies some 18 per cent of the country’s territory.
Andriy Chernyak, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence, said: “We are not seeing any major movements as of today, as of this hour, but we understand that the morale of Russia’s forces is likely to plunge lower if its possible for it to fall lower than already being nonexistent.”
Russia warns west not to exploit Wagner uprising
Russia’s foreign ministry has warned western countries not to seek to exploit the uprising by the Wagner mercenary group “to achieve their Russophobic goals”.
“Such attempts are futile and will find no resonance either in Russia or among sensible political forces abroad,” it said in a statement. “We are convinced that in the near future the situation will find a solution worthy of the age-old wisdom of the Russian people and the state of Russia.”
It said that the armed rebellion “plays into the hands of Russia’s external enemies,” but claimed that Russia would continue to pursue its goals, including in what the Russian government terms its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Turkey’s Erdoğan urges Putin to act ‘rationally and sensibly’
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Turkey stands ready to “do its part for the swift and peaceful resolution” of this weekend’s uprising, while urging the leader to act with common sense.
Turkish president Erdoğan in a call on Saturday with Putin stressed the importance of acting “rationally and sensibly”, and said “nobody should take advantage of the events in Russia,” according to a statement released by the Turkish government.
Erdoğan has retained a strong relationship with Putin. Turkey has sought to act as a mediator between the west and Moscow, with Ankara having played a significant role in negotiating the Black Sea grain deal.
Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan held a call on Saturday with US secretary of state Antony Blinken in which the situation in Russia was discussed.
G7 foreign ministers hold call to discuss Russia
Foreign ministers of the G7 group of advanced economies said on Saturday that they would “continue to co-ordinate closely” following an emergency 40-minute call on the unfolding situation in Russia.
“During the call, the G7 exchanged views on the urgent challenges the international community is facing, including the situation in Russia,” Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “And the G7 confirmed that they continue to co-ordinate closely.”
The call was attended by the foreign ministers of all G7 countries except Italy, an EU high representative and a representative from Italy, according to the statement.
Russian civil war ‘only plausible outcome’ of Ukraine invasion, says Zelenskyy aide
A senior aide to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that “a Russian civil war was the only plausible outcome” of Vladimir Putin’s “unlawful invasion of Ukraine.”
“History shows us all dictators eventually collapse under the weight of their contradictions, and their hubris,” Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, added in a Twitter post.
Wagner vehicles reach Lipetsk region, six hours from Moscow
A convoy of fighters, tanks and armoured vehicles from the Wagner paramilitary group has reached the Lipetsk region, around six hours’ drive from Moscow.
Several videos on Telegram channels show Wagner vehicles driving past Elets, a town in the Lipetsk region located about 400km from the capital.
The column, which set off from Rostov after Wagner fighters captured some of the southern city’s key buildings this morning, has continued on its journey despite the regular army launching “combat operations” against it further south, in the Voronezh region.
Lipetsk governor Igor Artamonov said the convoy was now in the region. “I urge residents not to leave their homes and refuse to travel by any means of transport,” Artamonov wrote.
It was not immediately clear how large the convoy is.
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A former UK ambassador to Moscow has predicted that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s uprising “can’t succeed” and the Russian military “will unite against him”.
Sir Rodric Braithwaite told Times Radio that Prigozhin was “a thug” whose quarrel with the Russian military command had “been brewing for a very long time”.
The head of the Wagner mercenary group “hasn’t got a wave of support welling towards him” and his chances of mounting a successful coup are “pretty slim”, Braithwaite said.
But he warned against a firm judgment while events were developing at pace.
Blinken says US co-ordinating closely with partners over Russia
US secretary of state Antony Blinken said the US was co-ordinating closely with its partners as the events in Russia unfold.
“Spoke today with G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to discuss the ongoing situation in Russia. The United States will stay in close co-ordination with Allies and partners as the situation continues to develop.” he tweeted.
“Secretary Blinken reiterated that support by the United States for Ukraine will not change,” state department spokesman Matt Miller said.
Former Pentagon official sees opportunity for Ukraine
Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat on the US House Armed Services Committee and a former senior Pentagon official, said that the fighting in Russia demonstrates the weakness of the Russian military and could create an opportunity for Ukrainian forces.
“This isn’t just a problem for Putin inside Russia — it calls into question whether Russia can withstand Ukraine’s summer offensive. Wagner led some of the small military victories in Ukraine, so this is a chance for Ukraine’s forces to further liberate their land — stay tuned,” she said on Twitter.
So far American officials are being careful about weighing in publicly and letting events unfold. Slotkin said the US should monitor events and be prepared to help where it can.
Chechen leader Kadyrov backs Putin
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov © AP
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov © AP Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has called Yevgeny Prigozhin’s actions a “vile betrayal”.
“What is happening here is not an ultimatum to [the Ministry of Defence]. It is a challenge to the state, and we should all rally around the national leader against this challenge,” Kadyrov wrote in a Telegram statement.
“I support every word of Vladimir Putin,” Kadyrov added, announcing that Chechen troops had gone “to the place of tensions.” Videos on Russian social media show military vehicles with Chechen numbers in the Rostov region.
“We will do everything to preserve the unity of Russia and protect its statehood! The insurgency must be put down, and if this requires harsh measures — we are ready!” Kadyrov wrote.
Qatar warns of potential effects on food and energy supply chains
Qatar has warned that any escalation of the situation in Russia and Ukraine would have negative consequences for food and energy supply chains in addition to international peace and security.
The Gulf state, a major gas exporter and strong US ally, also said via a foreign ministry statement it would strive for all sides to pursue dialogue and peaceful means to resolve conflicts.
It urged all parties to exert maximum self-control.
Doha, which engages in energy co-operation with Moscow, has sought to maintain a neutral stance in the Ukraine war.
Ukraine sees ‘window of opportunity’, says senior military official
A senior Ukrainian military official said the events in Russia provide her nation’s army with a “window of opportunity” as it continues its counteroffensive in the south east of the country.
Hanna Maliar, Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, added in her Telegram channel statement that Moscow’s “inadequate decision — to start a war with Ukraine” had triggered “the inevitable degradation of the Russian state.”
“The price of this erroneous decision is the fate of Russia itself,” she said, cautioning that Ukraine needs to “prepare for all scenarios”.
Erdoğan expresses support for Russian leadership, says Kremlin
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spoken to Vladimir Putin about the unfolding situation in Russia, according to the Kremlin.
In a statement, the Kremlin said that Erdoğan had been “informed about the situation” and “expressed full support for the Russian leadership actions”.
Turkey has not released an official response to the uprising and its foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the events.
Russian intelligence chief calls uprising ‘the most horrible crime’
The head of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, Sergei Naryshkin, has called the uprising “the most horrible crime, unjustified by any past merits” in a statement shared by the Historical Society of Russia’s Telegram channel.
“At the moment, it is clear that the attempt to shake society and fan the flames of a fratricidal civil war has failed,” he added.
Naryshkin said that “the Russians have demonstrated civic maturity and the ability to distinguish truth from lies”, and urged people to rally around Vladimir Putin.
EU activates crisis response centre
Josep Borrell is due to chair a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday © AFP via Getty Images
Josep Borrell is due to chair a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday © AFP via Getty Images The EU has activated its crisis response centre, the bloc’s foreign and security chief said, in response to the events in Russia.
“Ahead of Monday’s EU Foreign Affairs Council, I am coordinating inside the European Union and have activated the crisis response centre,” Josep Borrell, head of the European External Action Service, said on Saturday.
Borrell will chair a previously scheduled meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday.
“Had a call with G7 foreign ministers to exchange views on the situation in Russia,” he added. “Our support to Ukraine continues unabated.”
Latvia closes border with Russia
Latvia has closed its border with Russia in response to the situation in its neighbour, the foreign minister of the Nato and EU member said.
“Border security has been strengthened, visa or border entry from Russians leaving Russia due to current events won’t be considered,” Edgars Rinkēvičs said in a tweet.
“Latvia is closely following the developing situation in Russia and exchanging information with allies,” he added. “No direct threat to Latvia at this time”
Germany watching developments in Russia ‘very closely’
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said that Berlin was “watching the developments in Russia very closely” and was in intensive contact with international partners.
Writing on Twitter, she urged German nationals in Russia to closely follow updated travel and safety guidelines.
UK emergency committee to assess Russia developments
UK foreign secretary James Cleverly will chair a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee on Saturday to assess developments in Russia, officials said.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is being regularly updated on the situation, told the BBC that London was “keeping a close eye on the situation as it’s evolving” and called on “all parties to exercise responsibility and protect civilian lives”.
Sunak added that he was expecting to speak with allies later on Saturday.
‘Time to abandon false neutrality’, Ukraine’s foreign minister says
Ukraine’s foreign minister has responded to the uprising in Russia by calling on foreign countries to end any “false neutrality” in the war with Moscow and supply Kyiv with more weapons
“Those who said Russia was too strong to lose: look now,” Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter, referring to the actions by the Wagner mercenary group
“Time to abandon false neutrality and fear of escalation; give Ukraine all the needed weapons; forget about friendship or business with Russia. Time to put an end to the evil everyone despised but was too afraid to tear down,” he added.
What’s happened so far today
A member of the Wagner group in Rostov © ARKADY BUDNITSKY/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
A member of the Wagner group in Rostov © ARKADY BUDNITSKY/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock The main developments so far:
Russian president Vladimir Putin has accused Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of the Wagner mercenary group, of “treason” after the warlord launched an uprising against Russia’s army.
Prigozhin has rejected this, saying his fighters are “patriots of our motherland” who “don’t want the country to live any longer under corruption, lies and bureaucracy”.
Russia’s army is conducting “operational and combat activities” in the Voronezh region, its governor said, as Wagner reported that a column of its forces was moving north through the area towards Moscow.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to the uprising by saying it showed there is “full-scale weakness” in Russia.
Russian banks have drastically increased exchange rates as Russians tend to stock up on foreign currencies in uncertain times.
Putin speaks with regional allies about revolt
Vladimir Putin has spoken to his regional allies about the revolt in Russia.
The Russian president “informed” the leaders of Belarus, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan about the situation, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday, according to the Interfax news agency.
“Kassym-Yomart Tokayev [president of Kazakhstan] noted that the ongoing events are an internal matter of Russia and said that constitutional order and the rule of law are a prerequisite for maintaining law and order in the country,” said a statement released by Tokayev’s press office.
Russia’s ‘chaotic implosion’ means ‘time is now’ for Ukraine victory, says Lithuanian minister
Russia’s “chaotic implosion” means “the time is now” for Ukraine’s victory, Lithuania’s foreign minister said on Saturday.
“For 100 years Lithuanians have lived on the edge of Moscow’s brutal banditocracy, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the next chaotic implosion,” said Gabrelius Landsbergis in response to the events in neighbouring Russia.
“We are not distracted. We see clearly in the chaos. The goal, as ever, is victory and justice for Ukraine. The time is now,” he added, in a statement posted on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Polish president Andrzej Duda said he had held talks with the country’s prime minister and defence minister. “The course of events beyond our eastern border is being monitored constantly,” Duda wrote on Twitter.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy points to ‘full scale weakness’ in Russia
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has given his first reaction to the events in Russia, saying there is “full scale weakness” in the country.
“The longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will have for itself later,” said Zelenskyy in a post on Twitter.
“Everyone who chooses the path of evil destroys himself,” Zelenskyy added.
Oil depot on fire in Voronezh
An oil storage facility on the outskirts of Voronezh, on the left bank of the Voronezh river, is on fire, with a column of black smoke rising above it, a local resident told Financial Times, providing photos and videos of the incident.
Another resident of the area provided the FT with video of a helicopter passing directly over her home and said she heard a loud explosion immediately afterwards.
“Our neighbours are rushing on to their terraces and crossing themselves,” she said.
In a video circulating on Russian Telegram channels, a helicopter can be seen passing over the oil deposit just before the fire broke out, and a voice saying, “An explosion just happened.”
Putin speech shows he is ‘rattled’, says Chatham House expert
Vladimir Putin’s speech “clearly showed” the Russian president is “rattled”, according to James Nixey, director of the Russia and Eurasia programme at the Chatham House think-tank in London,
“He did not look confident and he did not reassure,” Nixey said. “After 24 years, this is the first direct challenge to his authority — even if both protagonists are not calling each other by name.”
Nixey added that Ukraine will seek to capitalise on the uprising and “will be ‘grateful’ to Prigozhin . . . but not for long”.
“He may be temporarily useful, but he is no shining knight.”
Russian banks lift foreign currency exchange rates
Russian banks have drastically increased exchange rates as Russians tend to stock up on foreign currencies in uncertain times
Banks raised exchange rates on Saturday for the dollar and the euro to 90 and 100 roubles, respectively, bringing the rouble to its lowest level since the invasion began.
When banks opened in the morning, Russia’s largest lender, Sberbank, raised its rouble/$ exchange rate by nearly 10 per cent, according to its website.
EU council president says support for Ukraine is ‘unwavering’
The president of the EU council is in contact with fellow European and G7 leaders regarding the situation in Russia, he said on Saturday.
“Closely monitoring the situation in Russia as it unfolds. In touch with European leaders and G7 partners,” said Charles Michel.
“This is clearly an internal Russian issue. Our support for Ukraine and [President Volodymyr Zelenskyy] is unwavering,” he added
Klaus Iohannis, president of Romania, which borders Ukraine and lies across the Black Sea from Russia, said officials were also “monitoring closely the evolutions of the events” and “in constant contact with allies”.
Prigozhin rejects Putin claim his uprising is treasonous
The warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin has rejected President Vladimir Putin’s claim that his uprising against the Russian defence ministry amounts to treason and said his Wagner paramilitary group would refuse demands to surrender.
“On the subject of betraying the motherland, the president is deeply mistaken,” Prigozhin said in an audio message released by his press service.
“We are patriots of our motherland. We, all the fighters of Wagner PMC, have fought and will fight on. And nobody is planning to hand themselves in on the orders of the president, FSB, or anyone else. Because we don’t want the country to live any longer under corruption, lies and bureaucracy,” he added.
“We are patriots, and everyone who is against us is gathering around a bunch of bastards.”
Zelensky adviser says next 48 hours will define ‘new status of Russia’
A senior adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the coming days will decide whether Vladimir Putin faces a civil war in Russia or negotiates a transition of power.
“The next 48 hours will define the new status of Russia. Either a full-fledged civil war, or a negotiated transition of power, or a temporary respite before the next phase of the downfall of the Putin regime,” Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
“All potential players are now choosing which side they are on.”
Estonia strengthens security on Russian border
Estonia has strengthened security on its border with Russia in response to the situation there, its prime minister has said, while stressing that there was no “direct threat” posed to the Baltic Nato member state.
“Estonia is closely following the development of the situation in Russia and exchanging information with allies,” Kaja Kallas said in a statement on Twitter. “I can assure that there is no direct threat to our country.”
“Border security has been strengthened. I also urge our people not to travel to any part of Russia,” she said.
Turkey refrains from commenting on Russian uprising
Turkey has refrained from officially responding to the uprising in Russia, but state media are closely covering the events.
Anadolu Agency, the state news wire, carried several stories in Turkish and English on Saturday morning both on warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin’s claims and President Vladimir Putin’s response. Turkish television stations were also covering the developments.
Turkey’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Prigozhin’s “march of justice”.
Turkey has sought to establish itself as a mediator between Russia and the west since Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. The country has declined to join western sanctions on Russia and helped to negotiate the Black Sea grain deal.
Senior Zelenskyy aide signals unity with military top brass
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff has posted a photo of himself standing alongside five of the country’s top generals to highlight unity as Russian president Vladimir Putin faces an uprising against his army 16 months into his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“President Zelenskyy’s team . . . it will burn for the Russians,” Andriy Yermak tweeted on Saturday.
The post, which comes weeks into the country’s latest counteroffensive to liberate Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine, included a photograph of Yermak posing with General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces, and four other senior commanders.
Italy’s Meloni links Russian instability to aggression in Ukraine
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday morning that she was “closely following the events taking place in Russia.”
In a statement, Meloni, a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s fight against Russian forces, called the turmoil “testimony as to how the aggression in Ukraine is also causing instability within the Russian Federation.”
Meloni visited Kyiv in January, and met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome last month.
Russian army conducting ‘combat activities’ in Voronezh, governor says
Russia’s army is conducting “operational and combat activities” in the Voronezh region, its governor said, as the Wagner paramilitary group reported that a column of its forces was moving north through the area towards Moscow.
Governor Alexander Gusev located around eight hours’ drive south of the capital, wrote on his telegram channel that the M4 highway was blocked.
A Wagner channel on Telegram showed a string of military vehicles driving on a road and claimed the “Wagner convoy” was “2km away from Buturlinovka”, a village in the Voronezh region.
“They are headed to the airfield,” the message said. “In each column there is a fighter in a vehicle ready to fire Manpads [surface-to-air missiles].”
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Russia unleashed massive overnight air strikes on Ukraine even as its army leadership faced an uprising led by the head of Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Ukraine’s air force said 41 out of 51 cruise missiles that were fired in the early hours of Saturday were intercepted by air defences, as were two attack drones.
“Night shelling of civilians is the style of terrorists. Russian style,” Ukraine’s interior affairs minister Ihor Klymenko said in a social media post.
Klymenko said at least three people in Kyiv were killed when debris hit a high-rise apartment building.
He added that regions targeted also included Vinnytsia in the country’s west, the eastern province of Kharkiv and centrally-located Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad.
Chinese media stick with Kremlin line on uprising
Beijing did not immediately officially react to events in Russia but state media carried numerous reports on warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin’s alleged mutiny, mostly sticking to the Kremlin’s line on the uprising.
CCTV News, the state television station, on Saturday reported Russian President Vladimir Putin’s address condemning the alleged uprising and promising harsh measures against those responsible.
Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, China has parroted Moscow’s propaganda on the conflict, including blaming Nato for the war and minimising Ukrainian battlefield successes.
Putin likens uprising to events of 1917
© AP
© AP Vladimir Putin has likened warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin’s uprising against Russia’s army to the collapse of the Russian empire and state in 1917, the furthest the Russian president has gone to warn of possible state collapse.
In his address to the nation on Saturday, Putin said Prigozhin’s “treason” was a “stab in the back” he likened to the Russian Revolution in 1917, when the Tsar was overthrown and the Bolsheviks later took power in the face of unrest about the first world war.
“Intrigues, spats, and politicking behind the army and people’s back ended in an enormous collapse, the destruction of the army and the fall of the state, the loss of huge territories, and in the end, the tragedy of civil war,” Putin said.
“We won’t let that happen again. We will defend our people and our statehood from any threats. Including domestic treason,” he said.
Europe watches events unfold in Russia
European leaders are monitoring events in Russia as the uprising unfolds.
In France, an Elysée official said: “The president is following the situation closely. We remain focused on the support of Ukraine.”
“This is an internal Russian affair,” said Eric Mamer, spokesperson for the European Commission. “We are monitoring the situation”.
A spokesperson for the EU’s foreign and security arm said it was consulting with member state capitals and EU allies over the events in Russia.
Poland’s president Andrzej Duda said that he had consulted with the country’s allies and that Warsaw was monitoring events in Russia “on an ongoing basis.”
“Due to the situation in Russia, we held consultations this morning with the prime minister and the Ministry of Defense, as well as with allies. The course of events beyond our eastern border is monitored on an ongoing basis,” Duda wrote on Twitter.
A Nato spokesperson told the FT that the organisation was “monitoring the situation”.
Putin calls on Wagner forces to lay down their arms
Vladimir Putin has admitted the situation in Rostov-on-Don is “complicated” after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s forces seized command points in the southern city and called on the Wagner mercenary group’s rank-and-file to lay down their arms.
“Those who organised and prepared the military uprising, who took arms against their comrades, have betrayed Russia. And will pay for it. And I call on those who they are trying to drag into this crime not to commit a fatal and tragic, irreversible mistake, and to make the only right choice — to stop participating in this crime,” the Russian president said.
Putin likened the warlord’s uprising to the collapse of the Russian state in 1917.
In his address to the nation about the Wagner paramilitary commander’s “march of justice” against Russia’s army, the Russian president said Russia would take “decisive measures to stabilise the situation” in Rostov-on-Don, a southern city home to a major Russian command point where Prigozhin claimed to have taken over all military facilities.
“The work of civil and military command is essentially blockaded,” Putin said.
Putin said Russia’s armed forces had also “received essential orders” for “additional measures of an anti-terrorist nature” in Moscow and “several other regions.”
The step essentially puts the FSB, Russia’s main security service, in charge of the areas and gives it the right to detain anyone, seize anything, or raid any place they see fit.
UK Ministry of Defence says Wagner likely heading for Moscow
The UK Ministry of Defence says that the Wagner group crossed from Ukraine into Russia in at least two locations.
In a tweet on Saturday morning, the ministry said that Wagner had “almost certainly occupied key security sites” in the city of Rostov-on-Don and was heading north through the Vorenezh region, heading for Moscow.
It added that the uprising was “the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times”.
Putin accuses Prigozhin of treason
Vladimir Putin has said “the fate of our people is being decided” and accused Yevgeny Prigozhin of “treason” after the warlord launched an uprising against Russia’s army, taking over at least one Russian city.
In his first comments since Prigozhin, founder of notorious mercenary group Wagner, announced a “march of justice” against the army’s leadership, Putin, Russia’s president, said the revolt was a “stab in the back for our country and our people”.
Without mentioning Prigozhin, who had hitherto enjoyed his personal patronage, by name, Putin said: “What we are dealing with is treason. Unchecked ambitions and personal interests have brought about betrayal of our country and our people, and the cause that the fighters and commanders of the Wagner group fought and died for alongside other units.”
Putin vowed he would “neutralise” the revolt and said Wagner’s rank-and-file had been “tricked and threatened” to take part in what amounted to the first coup attempt in Russia for three decades.
“I will do everything as a citizen of Russia to defend the country. Decisive measures will be taken. They will be harsh,” he added. “We will overcome all challenges and become even stronger.”
Latest developments in Russia
Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group, claims his forces are “blockading” the southern Russian city of Rostov and marching on Moscow.
Armed, masked men with tanks and armoured vehicles have surrounded government buildings in Rostov, where Prigozhin appears to have taken over a Russian army base.
Prigozhin said his operation was a “march of justice” against defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, commander of Russia’s invasion forces.
He insisted his action was not hindering operations in the invasion of Ukraine.
The FSB, Russia’s main security service, on Friday accused Prigozhin of organising an armed uprising, while two senior generals who rarely speak in public urged Wagner’s fighters to stand down from a “state coup”.
The chaos follows months of public infighting between Wagner and the army as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to sputter.
There has been no independent confirmation of any of Prigozhin’s statements.
Who is Prigozhin?
Prigozhin serves Putin in 2011 © AP
Prigozhin serves Putin in 2011 © AP Yevgeny’s Prigozhin’s ties to Putin date back to when the then deputy mayor of St Petersburg spent evenings at his restaurant in the 1990s. It had earned Prigozhin a direct line to the Russian president, according to two people who know them.
His ascent within the Kremlin came with Putin’s personal approval after the president realised the scale of the army’s disastrous performance in Ukraine under defence minister Shoigu, said a person close to Prigozhin.
The limelight emboldened Prigozhin so much that he set his sights on ousting Shoigu, one of Putin’s oldest allies, according to the Wagner leader’s associate and two senior western officials.
For more on Prigozhin, click here.
n”,”title”:”Zelenskyy adviser mocks Wagner chief Prigozhin for failing to oust Putin”,”byline”:”Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”5f689282-5482-468c-8a19-e813d36f96f7″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T22:15:03.383Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
The main developments so far
Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin said his Wagner mercenary group had agreed to stand down its attempted coup attempt and that his convoy of troops, weapons and tanks would stop their journey towards Moscow.
Following the deal, fighters for Wagner group began pulling out from the headquarters of Russia’s southern military command in Rostov, which had been captured earlier in the day-long crisis.
Ukraine’s deputy defence minister said Kyiv’s troops had “launched an offensive in several directions at the same time” on Saturday, apparently seizing an opportunity to counterattack against Russia’s forces as it contended with Wagner group’s attempted coup. Earlier in the day, Ukraine’s military said it had retaken territory in the eastern Donetsk province that had been under Russian occupation since the Kremlin’s war against the country began in 2014.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused President Vladimir Putin of being “afraid” and “hiding” as Wagner group’s forces advanced on Moscow.
Russia’s foreign ministry warned western countries not to seek to exploit the attempted coup by Wagner group “to achieve their Russophobic goals”.
“,”title”:”What has happened so far today”,”byline”:”Peter Wells in New York”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”7043b8fe-3d36-45ac-aa45-be8e12f16b1f”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T21:16:08.937Z”,”bodyHTML”:”![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F2816638e-9faa-464c-b114-7daa8e614431.jpg?dpr=1&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&source=next&width=700")
Wagner fighters prepare to pull out from the southern Russian city of Rostov after a deal to end the insurrection was brokered © Reuters![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F47ab2381-4c01-4c40-a8bc-13ccbf735afa.jpg?dpr=1&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&source=next&width=700")
Russian police officers wait in cars on the streets of Rostov as Wagner paramilitaries depart © Reuters![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F01d9d078-e2be-4d4a-8735-bcd40ee203dd.jpg?dpr=1&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&source=next&width=700")
Crowds gather to bid farewell to Wagner fighters as they pull out of Rostov © Reuters![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2Ff1002439-4946-4320-8afb-a4d45031de4f.jpg?dpr=1&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&source=next&width=700")
A boy hugs a member of Wagner group on the streets of Rostov © AFP via Getty Images”,”title”:”Scenes from Russia”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”de614507-7598-4d33-9000-a658af8b1bda”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T20:20:38.862Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Vladimir Putin’s spokesman described Saturday’s uprising as “fairly difficult”, but said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would continue.
Dmitry Peskov said the day-long crisis — during which Wagner mercenaries shot down several army helicopters, captured a major army command post in southern Russia and marched most of the way from the Ukrainian border to Moscow — was “full of tragic events,” but that “there were higher goals of escaping bloodshed and internal confrontation.”
Putin will not make any further comments on the incident, Peskov said, adding that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would continue.
“,”title”:”Kremlin acknowledges goal of ‘escaping bloodshed’ despite ‘difficult’ uprising”,”byline”:”Max Seddon in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”1857b1d1-08ed-42c1-99a3-be5ea98f557a”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T20:00:15.971Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Yevgeny Prigozhin has agreed to leave Russia for Belarus as part of a deal to end his armed uprising, while charges against him for organising it will be dropped, the Kremlin said on Saturday.
Dmitry Peskov, president Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, said Wagner’s fighters would not be charged “because of their deeds on the front.” He said some Wagner fighters who “came to their senses” and had not taken part in the uprising would sign contracts with the Russian defence ministry.
Despite declaring Prigozhin a “traitor” and vowing to “liquidate” Wagner on Saturday morning, Peskov said Putin had asked Alexander Lukashenko to mediate in the hope of avoiding any further bloodshed because the Belarusian leader has known Prigozhin for 20 years.
“,”title”:”Prigozhin to move to Belarus as part of deal to end Wagner uprising”,”byline”:”Max Seddon in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”f415e3ea-f5c1-4e2e-a5eb-4c79097edeb0″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T19:42:01.588Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Wagner paramilitaries loyal to the warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin have begun to leave a major Russian army command point they seized earlier on Saturday after apparently striking a deal to end their armed uprising.
State newswire Tass said Wagner’s fighters had begun to leave the headquarters of Russia’s southern military command in Rostov on Saturday evening as part of a deal to return them to their base camps, struck by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko.
Video posted online by state media and Wagner-affiliated social media channels showed the fighters thanking locals, who cheered, clapped, and chanted in support.
“,”title”:”Wagner fighters start pulling out from Russian city of Rostov”,”byline”:”Max Seddon in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”c30af908-3a91-443b-bbe7-75d6250c481c”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T19:18:06.485Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Ukraine’s defence minister has called upon Russian soldiers invading his country to “go home” and “take care of your country,” promising “we won’t shoot in your backs.”
Oleksiy Reznikov, speaking Russian in a social media address, told the soldiers: “you have been lied to and betrayed . . . your war is not here in Ukraine. The war is at your home.”
He said Ukraine’s counteroffensive was about to shift into higher gear, and urged Russian troops in Ukraine to “give hugs to your loved ones” and that “you still have a chance to survive!”
n”,”title”:”Ukraine defence minister warns Russian troops of step up in counteroffensive”,”byline”:”Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”0b3df75a-4fc6-44bd-bc17-7610c34688b4″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T19:02:46.702Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
The governor of a Russian province on the route warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin’s armed uprising took to Moscow before apparently turning back on Saturday says officials will begin to roll back security restrictions.
Igor Artamonov, the governor of Lipetsk, said the region would “start to cancel the restrictions introduced today” and reopen federal highways that had been closed to stop the advance of Prigozhin’s Wagner group. He said communal services had already begun rebuilding roads damaged in the advance.
“We all stood up to defend the interests of our country with honour and dignity. Lipetsk region will not let the president and Russia down,” Artamonov posted on social media.
“,”title”:”Russia’s Lipetsk region to reopen highways following Wagner turnround”,”byline”:”Max Seddon in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”ebafb9b0-0866-449c-8f53-d04f163ea994″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T18:41:48.963Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Belarus says Russian president Vladimir Putin thanked its leader Alexander Lukashenko after he appeared to broker a deal to end warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin’s armed uprising.
Lukashenko’s press service said Putin spoke to his Belarusian counterpart at 9pm local time on Saturday.
“The president of Belarus informed the president of Russia in detail about the results of negotiations with the leadership of Wagner PMC. The President of Russia supported and thanked his Belarusian colleague for his work,” it said, without elaborating.
Russia has yet to confirm it struck a deal with Wagner, though Prigozhin has said the group would return to base to avoid what he described as inevitable bloodshed.
“,”title”:”Belarus says Putin thanked Lukashenko for brokering end to uprising”,”byline”:”Max Seddon in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”4de00086-2328-4a54-9128-918b961c337a”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T18:15:19.311Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said Kyiv’s troops had “launched an offensive in several directions at the same time” on Saturday, apparently seizing an opportunity to counterattack against Moscow’s forces while a power struggle was under way in Russia.
“In the direction of Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bakhmut, Bohdanivka, Yahidne, Klishchiivka, Kurdyumivka . . . There is progress in all directions,” Maliar said.
“The enemy is on the defensive, making great efforts to stop our offensive actions,” she continued. “At the same time, the enemy is suffering significant losses in personnel, weapons and equipment.”
Maliar said that several Russian attacks in the east, backed with heavy artillery and air power, had been repelled.
“,”title”:”Ukraine launches offensive amid power struggle in Russia”,”byline”:”Christopher Miller, Ukraine correspondent”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”e5d60873-da90-4116-a3f7-fe859734f2ca”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T17:34:38.195Z”,”bodyHTML”:”![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2Feb99cd3f-81a2-4d59-a481-bfde16405391.jpg?dpr=1&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&source=next&width=700")
© AP
Yevgeny Prigozhin said his Wagner mercenary group had agreed to stand down its coup attempt and would return to Ukraine to avoid what he described as inevitable bloodshed.
In a voice memo posted to social media on Saturday evening, Prigozhin said:
We set off on June 23 on our march for justice. In 24 hours we moved 200km to Moscow. During that time we didn’t spill a single drop of blood of our fighters. Right now the moment has come when blood could be spilled. Therefore, understanding all the responsibility for the fact that Russian blood will be spilled on one side, we are turning our convoy around and going back to our basecamps, according to the plan.
The Kremlin did not immediately confirm it had agreed to let Prigozhin’s forces retreat.
Read more on the Prigozhin’s decision here
“,”title”:”Prigozhin says Wagner has agreed to stand down”,”byline”:”Max Seddon in Riga and Polina Ivanova in London”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”afe02cd3-667f-458f-a4dd-52a3a5133bb8″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T17:25:42.476Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Belarus says its leader Alexander Lukashenko has convinced the Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin to stop his advance on Moscow, signalling a possible end to the first coup attempt in Russia in three decades.
Lukashenko’s press service said he spent “the entire day” negotiating with Prigozhin after “agreeing on joint actions” with Putin and “additionally clarifying the situation through his own channels”.
It said Prigozhin had “accepted [Lukashenko’s] request to stop the movement of armed men from the Wagner company on Russian territory and [take] further steps to de-escalate the situation.
“At the moment, there is an absolutely advantageous and acceptable way to defuse the situation on the table, with security guarantees for Wagner’s fighters,” the press service said, without elaborating.
There was no immediate confirmation from Prigozhin or the Kremlin.
“,”title”:”Belarus claims deal with Prigozhin to end advance on Moscow”,”byline”:”Max Seddon in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”c1314b9f-084b-44ec-ba21-abc32de3f536″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T17:19:13.406Z”,”bodyHTML”:”ntttntttt ![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F6d402d05-5d4f-4233-ab54-2154bffd2d11.jpg?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700")
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy blasted President Vladimir Putin for being “afraid” and “hiding” as the Wagner mercenary forces advanced on Moscow, threatening his decades-long grip on power.
“The man from the Kremlin is obviously very afraid and probably hiding somewhere, not showing himself,” Zelenskyy said in Russian, referring to Putin. “[Putin] knows what he is scared of, because he himself created this threat.”
In a video address Zelenskyy said “the world should not be afraid” and called for further support from western allies, saying Europe’s eastern flank is defended by Ukraine.
“We know what protects us — our unity. Ukraine will definitely be able to protect Europe from any Russian forces, no matter who commands them,” he said.
“,”title”:”Putin is afraid, says Zelenskyy”,”byline”:”Christopher Miller and Roman Olearchyk”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”7825b23f-3e4e-451a-a17e-cdda46ac5e91″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T17:10:57.857Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator on the Senate foreign relations committee, said Russia will be “forever scrambled” after the events of this weekend, whether Vladimir Putin survives or not, and that it will cause countries that have sided with Russia to reassess.
Prigozhin believes that he has the Russian people on his side, Murphy said, but cautioned that the force he is moving towards Moscow is small and it is unclear what backing he has.
“A civil war inside Russia is potentially cataclysmic,” he said. “The United States needs to let this play out and not appear as if we are meddling or taking sides. Our first priority is protecting US citizens and our friends in Ukraine.”
“,”title”:”Russia will be ‘forever scrambled’ says US senator”,”byline”:”Felicia Schwartz in Washington”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”8e64c226-0b3d-40cb-baf4-68a72de8968a”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T16:47:52.412Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
The scores of Wagner trucks, armoured vehicles and troop carriers heading north to Moscow face roadblocks and Russian army units on critical bridges crossing the Oka river, according to local authorities and social media footage.
The Wagner rebels are expected to attempt to cross the Oka, one of the largest rivers in western Russia, over three major motorway bridges, all of which have been blocked by vehicles and troops from the country’s regular armed forces.
Wagner vehicles were seen roughly 300km south of the Oka river crossings three hours ago.
Each of the Oka bridge crossings is about 100km from the Moscow ring road, where troops have set up armoured checkpoints.
“,”title”:”Wagner convoy faces test at Oka river”,”byline”:”Henry Foy in Brussels and Polina Ivanova in London”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”759a2be8-0308-40d3-be1a-796490f1cb8f”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T16:37:17.816Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
The leaders of the US, France, Germany and the UK spoke on Saturday about the events in Russia, according to the White House.
The US offered few details of the call as American officials are wary of any appearance of interference.
“The leaders discussed the situation in Russia. They also affirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine,” a White House statement said.
US president Joe Biden was briefed on Saturday morning by his national security team on the events in Russia, including from top military, intelligence and diplomatic officials.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen Mark Milley, cancelled a planned trip to Israel and Jordan to stay in Washington and monitor the events in Russia, a US official said
“,”title”:”Leaders of US, France, Germany and UK discuss Russia”,”byline”:”Felicia Schwartz in Washington”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”2dfeff57-9e94-4047-b14c-52d97fcd4b36″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T16:06:10.643Z”,”bodyHTML”:”ntttntttt ![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2Fa13e2da8-222c-4d9b-b0ca-1a3334e95562.jpg?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700")
nttttntttnttttSviatlana Tsikhanouskaya © AFP via Getty Imagesntttnttntttntt
Belarusian opposition leaders and militia fighters have called on citizens inside Belarus to stay out of Russia’s “civil war” and prepare to fight “dictatorship” in their own country.
“Today, I addressed the Belarusian military and officials. We must not allow our country to be dragged into Russia’s war,” Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian opposition leader in exile, said in a video address published on social media. “It is crucial that we ensure all Russian troops exit Belarus and that we close our border with Russia. We must defend our sovereignty and protect our people.”
A Belarusian fighter from the Kastuś Kalinoŭski Regiment, which is fighting with Ukraine, called on opposition supporters in his home country to be ready to rise up.
“Favourable conditions for the destruction of the dictatorship are rapidly approaching,” he said.
“,”title”:”Belarus opposition call on citizens to stay out of Russia’s ‘civil war’”,”byline”:”Christopher Miller, Ukraine correspondent”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”fddae2c9-2724-4b39-911d-99a9b6ada09f”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T16:04:05.864Z”,”bodyHTML”:”ntttntttt ![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F73c4824d-0011-4252-a91b-baa8569d32af.jpg?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700")
nttttntttnttttA woman poses with a Wagner soldier in Rostov © AFP via Getty Imagesntttnttntttntt
Even if Yevgeny Prigohzin’s mutiny fails, the crisis “will only exacerbate perceptions of the regime’s weakness, which could proliferate further challenges to Vladimir Putin’s rule in the near future”, according to Andrius Tursa, central and eastern Europe adviser at the Teneo think-tank.
Tursa said that Putin’s “longstanding image as an invincible leader and ultimate guarantor of security and stability in Russia has been gradually undermined by military failures in Ukraine during the past 16 months” and protracted battles between the mercenaries and Russia’s military “could throw the country into chaos”.
He added that if Putin felt obliged to take military action to liberate Rostov it “could prove politically damaging”.
“,”title”:”Mutiny ‘will only exacerbate’ Putin’s weakness, says think-tank”,”byline”:”John Aglionby in London”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”a9f33b3f-8eac-4c4d-873d-e1eed4d4cfb6″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T15:44:39.672Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Ukraine-backed militias composed of Russian fighters are cheering on the insurrection led by the warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin.
“Soldiers, officers: your hour has come. Unleash your weapons on the towers of the Kremlin, don’t let the internecine strife drown Russia in blood,” the Free Russia Legion tweeted.
“It is time to stop the senseless and brutal killing of Ukrainians and the deaths of thousands of Russians at the front and return home: to where you are needed now.
Denis “White Rex” Nikitin, the far-right commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, also called on supporters in his homeland to rise up against the Kremlin. “We all have a unique chance to determine our fate and the fate of our Motherland!”, he said in a video address published on his Telegram channel on Friday.
“,”title”:”Ukraine-backed Russian militias cheer Prigozhin uprising”,”byline”:”Christopher Miller, Ukraine correspondent”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”30c98080-5447-45f5-9d99-07b06ce43764″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T15:38:52.963Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Ukraine’s military announced on Saturday that it had retaken territory in the eastern Donetsk province that had been under Russian occupation since the Kremlin’s war against the country began in 2014.
“Near Krasnohorivka, the assault units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces, as a result of a well-planned counterattack, captured several positions that had been held by the enemy since 2014,” said Valery Shershen, a military spokesperson.
The liberation of land near the town of Krasnohorivka, just 25km west of the regional capital of Donetsk, a Russian military stronghold, comes two weeks into Ukraine’s counteroffensive to wrest back territory occupied by Russia.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian ground forces, said that his troops were attacking around Bakhmut.
“,”title”:”Ukraine announces recapture of territory in Donetsk”,”byline”:”Christopher Miller, Ukraine correspondent”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”6f44a3e9-de0c-4112-bf5c-e4288f7bf9bb”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T15:27:42.277Z”,”bodyHTML”:”ntttntttt ![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F23c9fa32-4ebf-4492-8a1a-923095045d7c.jpg?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700")
nttttntttnttttBarriers at Red Square in Moscow © AFP via Getty Imagesntttnttntttntt
Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin has made Monday a non-working day in the capital, as a convoy of Wagner fighters and armed vehicles move towards the capital city as part of an attempted uprising.
The convoy could reach the city by midnight tonight local time.
Sobyanin called on Moscow residents to avoid travelling around the capital as much as possible. Some images shared on social media, which could not be verified, have shown soldiers taking positions in parts of the city in preparation for Wagner’s possible arrival.
Separately, Moscow governor Andrei Vorobyov said that mass outdoor events and events in educational organisations, such as school graduations, had been cancelled for a week.
“,”title”:”Monday a ‘non-working day’ says Moscow’s mayor”,”byline”:”Polina Ivanova in London”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”3a42ed9e-a54e-4edd-af69-6733a83e35b5″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T15:21:30.687Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Multiple Ukrainian soldiers serving on the front line have told the Financial Times there has been no sign of Russian forces retreating amid the uprising by the Wagner mercenary group against Moscow’s military leadership.
“The war continues . . . heavy fighting continues on the front line,” said one member of an elite unit taking part in Ukraine’s weeks-long counteroffensive in the south-east, where Russia occupies some 18 per cent of the country’s territory.
Andriy Chernyak, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s GUR military intelligence, said: “We are not seeing any major movements as of today, as of this hour, but we understand that the morale of Russia’s forces is likely to plunge lower if its possible for it to fall lower than already being nonexistent.”
“,”title”:”Ukrainian soldiers report no retreat by Russian frontline troops”,”byline”:”Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”f913e651-7502-40be-a3d6-b239b8d71735″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T15:20:52.609Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Russia’s foreign ministry has warned western countries not to seek to exploit the uprising by the Wagner mercenary group “to achieve their Russophobic goals”.
“Such attempts are futile and will find no resonance either in Russia or among sensible political forces abroad,” it said in a statement. “We are convinced that in the near future the situation will find a solution worthy of the age-old wisdom of the Russian people and the state of Russia.”
It said that the armed rebellion “plays into the hands of Russia’s external enemies,” but claimed that Russia would continue to pursue its goals, including in what the Russian government terms its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
“,”title”:”Russia warns west not to exploit Wagner uprising”,”byline”:”Polina Ivanova in London”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”cc48cb25-2d6e-4e1a-bfd9-9e7b299cf953″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T14:35:53.321Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Turkey stands ready to “do its part for the swift and peaceful resolution” of this weekend’s uprising, while urging the leader to act with common sense.
Turkish president Erdoğan in a call on Saturday with Putin stressed the importance of acting “rationally and sensibly”, and said “nobody should take advantage of the events in Russia,” according to a statement released by the Turkish government.
Erdoğan has retained a strong relationship with Putin. Turkey has sought to act as a mediator between the west and Moscow, with Ankara having played a significant role in negotiating the Black Sea grain deal.
Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan held a call on Saturday with US secretary of state Antony Blinken in which the situation in Russia was discussed.
“,”title”:”Turkey’s Erdoğan urges Putin to act ‘rationally and sensibly’”,”byline”:”Adam Samson in Ankara”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”665e48b4-e6ab-4d01-93be-8a7ed21fc791″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T14:29:47.147Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Foreign ministers of the G7 group of advanced economies said on Saturday that they would “continue to co-ordinate closely” following an emergency 40-minute call on the unfolding situation in Russia.
“During the call, the G7 exchanged views on the urgent challenges the international community is facing, including the situation in Russia,” Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “And the G7 confirmed that they continue to co-ordinate closely.”
The call was attended by the foreign ministers of all G7 countries except Italy, an EU high representative and a representative from Italy, according to the statement.
“,”title”:”G7 foreign ministers hold call to discuss Russia”,”byline”:”Kana Inagaki in Tokyo”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”f506b627-84cb-486a-8ea6-ed122eae40f4″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T14:13:25.515Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
A senior aide to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that “a Russian civil war was the only plausible outcome” of Vladimir Putin’s “unlawful invasion of Ukraine.”
“History shows us all dictators eventually collapse under the weight of their contradictions, and their hubris,” Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, added in a Twitter post.
“,”title”:”Russian civil war ‘only plausible outcome’ of Ukraine invasion, says Zelenskyy aide”,”byline”:”Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”b1a442f9-ecc7-4f6d-abd9-7210324f012d”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T13:57:39.469Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
A convoy of fighters, tanks and armoured vehicles from the Wagner paramilitary group has reached the Lipetsk region, around six hours’ drive from Moscow.
Several videos on Telegram channels show Wagner vehicles driving past Elets, a town in the Lipetsk region located about 400km from the capital.
The column, which set off from Rostov after Wagner fighters captured some of the southern city’s key buildings this morning, has continued on its journey despite the regular army launching “combat operations” against it further south, in the Voronezh region.
Lipetsk governor Igor Artamonov said the convoy was now in the region. “I urge residents not to leave their homes and refuse to travel by any means of transport,” Artamonov wrote.
It was not immediately clear how large the convoy is.
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ntttnttntnntttttttnttttttt![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fpublic.flourish.studio%2Fvisualisation%2F14241659%2Fthumbnail%3FcacheBuster%3D?dpr=1&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&source=next&width=700")
![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F10bb0983-dd68-4c70-8e6a-10cfa7dea465.jpg?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700")
nttttntttnttttA Wagner tank in the city of Rostov © STRINGER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstockntttnttntttnttntttntttt ![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2Faa1ec2f4-6ada-4d1c-a657-1c3712165f21.jpg?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700")
nttttntttnttttA Wagner recruitment poster is taken down in St Petersburg © APntttnttntttnttntttntttt ![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F2f164177-c5cd-44e8-a375-b9c6a3ba51d1.jpg?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700")
nttttntttnttttA closed road at Red Square in Moscow © REUTERSntttnttntttntt”,”title”:”Scenes from Russia”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”a34f77d1-d09e-4766-ba6f-14eba486e54b”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T13:29:23.804Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
A former UK ambassador to Moscow has predicted that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s uprising “can’t succeed” and the Russian military “will unite against him”.
Sir Rodric Braithwaite told Times Radio that Prigozhin was “a thug” whose quarrel with the Russian military command had “been brewing for a very long time”.
The head of the Wagner mercenary group “hasn’t got a wave of support welling towards him” and his chances of mounting a successful coup are “pretty slim”, Braithwaite said.
But he warned against a firm judgment while events were developing at pace.
“,”title”:”Prigozhin ‘can’t succeed’, former UK envoy says”,”byline”:”Lucy Fisher in London”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”8c4b22cf-21d4-4ad2-b9a2-a8d7a970dbc6″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T13:21:30.791Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
US secretary of state Antony Blinken said the US was co-ordinating closely with its partners as the events in Russia unfold.
“Spoke today with G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to discuss the ongoing situation in Russia. The United States will stay in close co-ordination with Allies and partners as the situation continues to develop.” he tweeted.
“Secretary Blinken reiterated that support by the United States for Ukraine will not change,” state department spokesman Matt Miller said.
n”,”title”:”Blinken says US co-ordinating closely with partners over Russia”,”byline”:”Felicia Schwartz in Washington”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”be0adaea-b792-44aa-a866-1dee58b2ea42″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T13:20:01.469Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat on the US House Armed Services Committee and a former senior Pentagon official, said that the fighting in Russia demonstrates the weakness of the Russian military and could create an opportunity for Ukrainian forces.
“This isn’t just a problem for Putin inside Russia — it calls into question whether Russia can withstand Ukraine’s summer offensive. Wagner led some of the small military victories in Ukraine, so this is a chance for Ukraine’s forces to further liberate their land — stay tuned,” she said on Twitter.
So far American officials are being careful about weighing in publicly and letting events unfold. Slotkin said the US should monitor events and be prepared to help where it can.
“,”title”:”Former Pentagon official sees opportunity for Ukraine “,”byline”:”Felicia Schwartz in Washington”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”032b701d-9fdd-4c5e-88f1-969c15a0abb2″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T13:13:59.356Z”,”bodyHTML”:”ntttntttt ![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F606d024b-afd6-49c9-ac21-5792754c3ce6.jpg?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700")
nttttntttnttttChechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov © APntttnttntttntt
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has called Yevgeny Prigozhin’s actions a “vile betrayal”.
“What is happening here is not an ultimatum to [the Ministry of Defence]. It is a challenge to the state, and we should all rally around the national leader against this challenge,” Kadyrov wrote in a Telegram statement.
“I support every word of Vladimir Putin,” Kadyrov added, announcing that Chechen troops had gone “to the place of tensions.” Videos on Russian social media show military vehicles with Chechen numbers in the Rostov region.
“We will do everything to preserve the unity of Russia and protect its statehood! The insurgency must be put down, and if this requires harsh measures — we are ready!” Kadyrov wrote.
“,”title”:”Chechen leader Kadyrov backs Putin”,”byline”:”Anastasia Stognei in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”e04c723b-54b5-4174-8406-b849826f77f0″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T13:13:40.011Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Qatar has warned that any escalation of the situation in Russia and Ukraine would have negative consequences for food and energy supply chains in addition to international peace and security.
The Gulf state, a major gas exporter and strong US ally, also said via a foreign ministry statement it would strive for all sides to pursue dialogue and peaceful means to resolve conflicts.
It urged all parties to exert maximum self-control.
Doha, which engages in energy co-operation with Moscow, has sought to maintain a neutral stance in the Ukraine war.
“,”title”:”Qatar warns of potential effects on food and energy supply chains”,”byline”:”Simeon Kerr in Dubai”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”c06bcc9b-1aa4-4395-b263-08c2365137be”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T12:55:30.713Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
A senior Ukrainian military official said the events in Russia provide her nation’s army with a “window of opportunity” as it continues its counteroffensive in the south east of the country.
Hanna Maliar, Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, added in her Telegram channel statement that Moscow’s “inadequate decision — to start a war with Ukraine” had triggered “the inevitable degradation of the Russian state.”
“The price of this erroneous decision is the fate of Russia itself,” she said, cautioning that Ukraine needs to “prepare for all scenarios”.
“,”title”:”Ukraine sees ‘window of opportunity’, says senior military official”,”byline”:”Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”4e9760b6-50ca-4c4c-90ad-bff0e5483625″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T12:48:09.468Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has spoken to Vladimir Putin about the unfolding situation in Russia, according to the Kremlin.
In a statement, the Kremlin said that Erdoğan had been “informed about the situation” and “expressed full support for the Russian leadership actions”.
Turkey has not released an official response to the uprising and its foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the events.
“,”title”:”Erdoğan expresses support for Russian leadership, says Kremlin”,”byline”:”Anastasia Stognei in Riga and Adam Samson in Ankara”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”91d92eb9-ba54-4e6c-babc-e8f11eac4777″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T12:40:53.896Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
The head of Russia’s foreign intelligence service, Sergei Naryshkin, has called the uprising “the most horrible crime, unjustified by any past merits” in a statement shared by the Historical Society of Russia’s Telegram channel.
“At the moment, it is clear that the attempt to shake society and fan the flames of a fratricidal civil war has failed,” he added.
Naryshkin said that “the Russians have demonstrated civic maturity and the ability to distinguish truth from lies”, and urged people to rally around Vladimir Putin.
“,”title”:”Russian intelligence chief calls uprising ‘the most horrible crime’”,”byline”:”Anastasia Stognei in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”c8c5dd79-1723-4784-bd78-0a0f5204ca6e”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T12:34:34.706Z”,”bodyHTML”:”ntttntttt ![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F2a422953-7a5e-4a7f-9ea2-4ed0b11336bd.jpg?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700")
nttttntttnttttJosep Borrell is due to chair a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday © AFP via Getty Imagesntttnttntttntt
The EU has activated its crisis response centre, the bloc’s foreign and security chief said, in response to the events in Russia.
“Ahead of Monday’s EU Foreign Affairs Council, I am coordinating inside the European Union and have activated the crisis response centre,” Josep Borrell, head of the European External Action Service, said on Saturday.
Borrell will chair a previously scheduled meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday.
“Had a call with G7 foreign ministers to exchange views on the situation in Russia,” he added. “Our support to Ukraine continues unabated.”
“,”title”:”EU activates crisis response centre”,”byline”:”Henry Foy in Brussels”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”fd68d0db-1288-490b-ae7b-cc204ccd7b21″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T12:14:16.728Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Latvia has closed its border with Russia in response to the situation in its neighbour, the foreign minister of the Nato and EU member said.
“Border security has been strengthened, visa or border entry from Russians leaving Russia due to current events won’t be considered,” Edgars Rinkēvičs said in a tweet.
“Latvia is closely following the developing situation in Russia and exchanging information with allies,” he added. “No direct threat to Latvia at this time”
“,”title”:”Latvia closes border with Russia”,”byline”:”Henry Foy in Brussels”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”8d30c590-3695-4031-9f4d-111b5a1ba132″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T11:59:42.306Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said that Berlin was “watching the developments in Russia very closely” and was in intensive contact with international partners.
Writing on Twitter, she urged German nationals in Russia to closely follow updated travel and safety guidelines.
“,”title”:”Germany watching developments in Russia ‘very closely’”,”byline”:”Laura Pitel in Berlin”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”c62329e0-3e3d-475d-99a6-7c7adcd5e3f4″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T11:35:06.639Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
UK foreign secretary James Cleverly will chair a meeting of the government’s Cobra emergency committee on Saturday to assess developments in Russia, officials said.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is being regularly updated on the situation, told the BBC that London was “keeping a close eye on the situation as it’s evolving” and called on “all parties to exercise responsibility and protect civilian lives”.
Sunak added that he was expecting to speak with allies later on Saturday.
“,”title”:”UK emergency committee to assess Russia developments”,”byline”:”John Aglionby and Lucy Fisher in London”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”b333eb6c-3cc0-4b16-a194-baf23e8b8eb5″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T11:05:21.965Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Ukraine’s foreign minister has responded to the uprising in Russia by calling on foreign countries to end any “false neutrality” in the war with Moscow and supply Kyiv with more weapons
“Those who said Russia was too strong to lose: look now,” Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter, referring to the actions by the Wagner mercenary group
“Time to abandon false neutrality and fear of escalation; give Ukraine all the needed weapons; forget about friendship or business with Russia. Time to put an end to the evil everyone despised but was too afraid to tear down,” he added.
n “,”title”:”‘Time to abandon false neutrality’, Ukraine’s foreign minister says”,”byline”:”Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”8accd996-50c4-4f9f-b3c8-5955a5f49a2e”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T11:03:01.150Z”,”bodyHTML”:”ntttntttt ![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2Fa5ecc820-5ca5-48bf-94d2-4db36ede72b4.jpg?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700")
nttttntttnttttA member of the Wagner group in Rostov © ARKADY BUDNITSKY/EPA-EFE/Shutterstockntttnttntttntt
The main developments so far:
Russian president Vladimir Putin has accused Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of the Wagner mercenary group, of “treason” after the warlord launched an uprising against Russia’s army.
Prigozhin has rejected this, saying his fighters are “patriots of our motherland” who “don’t want the country to live any longer under corruption, lies and bureaucracy”.
Russia’s army is conducting “operational and combat activities” in the Voronezh region, its governor said, as Wagner reported that a column of its forces was moving north through the area towards Moscow.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to the uprising by saying it showed there is “full-scale weakness” in Russia.
Russian banks have drastically increased exchange rates as Russians tend to stock up on foreign currencies in uncertain times.
“,”title”:”What’s happened so far today”,”byline”:”John Aglionby in London”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”19319693-41da-43f4-a335-7b375a74a4df”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T10:57:35.588Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Vladimir Putin has spoken to his regional allies about the revolt in Russia.
The Russian president “informed” the leaders of Belarus, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan about the situation, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday, according to the Interfax news agency.
“Kassym-Yomart Tokayev [president of Kazakhstan] noted that the ongoing events are an internal matter of Russia and said that constitutional order and the rule of law are a prerequisite for maintaining law and order in the country,” said a statement released by Tokayev’s press office.
“,”title”:”Putin speaks with regional allies about revolt”,”byline”:”Anastasia Stognei in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”dd2fc098-c894-4f07-9211-bbe5b88b5e98″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T10:30:34.348Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Russia’s “chaotic implosion” means “the time is now” for Ukraine’s victory, Lithuania’s foreign minister said on Saturday.
“For 100 years Lithuanians have lived on the edge of Moscow’s brutal banditocracy, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the next chaotic implosion,” said Gabrelius Landsbergis in response to the events in neighbouring Russia.
“We are not distracted. We see clearly in the chaos. The goal, as ever, is victory and justice for Ukraine. The time is now,” he added, in a statement posted on Twitter.
Meanwhile, Polish president Andrzej Duda said he had held talks with the country’s prime minister and defence minister. “The course of events beyond our eastern border is being monitored constantly,” Duda wrote on Twitter.
“,”title”:”Russia’s ‘chaotic implosion’ means ‘time is now’ for Ukraine victory, says Lithuanian minister”,”byline”:”Henry Foy in Brussels and Raphael Minder in Warsaw”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”fe22b66c-4413-4a5c-9325-0fd196add14d”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T10:29:02.477Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has given his first reaction to the events in Russia, saying there is “full scale weakness” in the country.
“The longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will have for itself later,” said Zelenskyy in a post on Twitter.
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“Everyone who chooses the path of evil destroys himself,” Zelenskyy added.
“,”title”:”Volodymyr Zelenskyy points to ‘full scale weakness’ in Russia”,”byline”:”Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”aa5e200f-af26-41d9-abcc-1bd9bf8239a9″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T10:08:16.965Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
An oil storage facility on the outskirts of Voronezh, on the left bank of the Voronezh river, is on fire, with a column of black smoke rising above it, a local resident told Financial Times, providing photos and videos of the incident.
Another resident of the area provided the FT with video of a helicopter passing directly over her home and said she heard a loud explosion immediately afterwards.
“Our neighbours are rushing on to their terraces and crossing themselves,” she said.
In a video circulating on Russian Telegram channels, a helicopter can be seen passing over the oil deposit just before the fire broke out, and a voice saying, “An explosion just happened.”
“,”title”:”Oil depot on fire in Voronezh”,”byline”:”Anastasia Stognei in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”03095728-8b3f-4680-afaf-51fa09f2e657″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T10:00:42.342Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Vladimir Putin’s speech “clearly showed” the Russian president is “rattled”, according to James Nixey, director of the Russia and Eurasia programme at the Chatham House think-tank in London,
“He did not look confident and he did not reassure,” Nixey said. “After 24 years, this is the first direct challenge to his authority — even if both protagonists are not calling each other by name.”
Nixey added that Ukraine will seek to capitalise on the uprising and “will be ‘grateful’ to Prigozhin . . . but not for long”.
“He may be temporarily useful, but he is no shining knight.”
“,”title”:”Putin speech shows he is ‘rattled’, says Chatham House expert”,”byline”:”John Aglionby in London”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”4a2236a4-a56f-4adb-813d-d46a30677cbb”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T09:57:20.820Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Russian banks have drastically increased exchange rates as Russians tend to stock up on foreign currencies in uncertain times
Banks raised exchange rates on Saturday for the dollar and the euro to 90 and 100 roubles, respectively, bringing the rouble to its lowest level since the invasion began.
When banks opened in the morning, Russia’s largest lender, Sberbank, raised its rouble/$ exchange rate by nearly 10 per cent, according to its website.
“,”title”:”Russian banks lift foreign currency exchange rates”,”byline”:”Anastasia Stognei in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”55415284-34aa-4251-bcda-ab949b1c313c”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T09:47:57.012Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
The president of the EU council is in contact with fellow European and G7 leaders regarding the situation in Russia, he said on Saturday.
“Closely monitoring the situation in Russia as it unfolds. In touch with European leaders and G7 partners,” said Charles Michel.
“This is clearly an internal Russian issue. Our support for Ukraine and [President Volodymyr Zelenskyy] is unwavering,” he added
Klaus Iohannis, president of Romania, which borders Ukraine and lies across the Black Sea from Russia, said officials were also “monitoring closely the evolutions of the events” and “in constant contact with allies”.
“,”title”:”EU council president says support for Ukraine is ‘unwavering’”,”byline”:”Henry Foy in Brussels”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”194c9c8c-1772-4c0b-bb3f-cfac5bbd0403″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T09:37:13.408Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
The warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin has rejected President Vladimir Putin’s claim that his uprising against the Russian defence ministry amounts to treason and said his Wagner paramilitary group would refuse demands to surrender.
“On the subject of betraying the motherland, the president is deeply mistaken,” Prigozhin said in an audio message released by his press service.
“We are patriots of our motherland. We, all the fighters of Wagner PMC, have fought and will fight on. And nobody is planning to hand themselves in on the orders of the president, FSB, or anyone else. Because we don’t want the country to live any longer under corruption, lies and bureaucracy,” he added.
“We are patriots, and everyone who is against us is gathering around a bunch of bastards.”
“,”title”:”Prigozhin rejects Putin claim his uprising is treasonous”,”byline”:”Max Seddon in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”204022e5-afa1-4ae2-9d62-8d765debd789″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T09:34:14.589Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
A senior adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the coming days will decide whether Vladimir Putin faces a civil war in Russia or negotiates a transition of power.
“The next 48 hours will define the new status of Russia. Either a full-fledged civil war, or a negotiated transition of power, or a temporary respite before the next phase of the downfall of the Putin regime,” Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter.
“All potential players are now choosing which side they are on.”
n”,”title”:”Zelensky adviser says next 48 hours will define ‘new status of Russia’”,”byline”:”Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”c36de117-37a9-4b57-bc93-8bae184df53a”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T09:28:42.153Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Estonia has strengthened security on its border with Russia in response to the situation there, its prime minister has said, while stressing that there was no “direct threat” posed to the Baltic Nato member state.
“Estonia is closely following the development of the situation in Russia and exchanging information with allies,” Kaja Kallas said in a statement on Twitter. “I can assure that there is no direct threat to our country.”
“Border security has been strengthened. I also urge our people not to travel to any part of Russia,” she said.
n”,”title”:”Estonia strengthens security on Russian border”,”byline”:”Henry Foy in Brussels”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”89a38265-2576-42ff-8fff-a19b22ab4cdf”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T09:25:11.055Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Turkey has refrained from officially responding to the uprising in Russia, but state media are closely covering the events.
Anadolu Agency, the state news wire, carried several stories in Turkish and English on Saturday morning both on warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin’s claims and President Vladimir Putin’s response. Turkish television stations were also covering the developments.
Turkey’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment on Prigozhin’s “march of justice”.
Turkey has sought to establish itself as a mediator between Russia and the west since Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. The country has declined to join western sanctions on Russia and helped to negotiate the Black Sea grain deal.
“,”title”:”Turkey refrains from commenting on Russian uprising”,”byline”:”Adam Samson in Ankara”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”2c75ac6c-a850-4f51-8c46-7ba4977e2041″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T09:13:23.847Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s chief of staff has posted a photo of himself standing alongside five of the country’s top generals to highlight unity as Russian president Vladimir Putin faces an uprising against his army 16 months into his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“President Zelenskyy’s team . . . it will burn for the Russians,” Andriy Yermak tweeted on Saturday.
The post, which comes weeks into the country’s latest counteroffensive to liberate Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine, included a photograph of Yermak posing with General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of the country’s armed forces, and four other senior commanders.
n”,”title”:”Senior Zelenskyy aide signals unity with military top brass”,”byline”:”Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”65f57de6-3faa-4e21-a804-631e9354e415″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T09:11:03.028Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Saturday morning that she was “closely following the events taking place in Russia.”
In a statement, Meloni, a staunch supporter of Ukraine’s fight against Russian forces, called the turmoil “testimony as to how the aggression in Ukraine is also causing instability within the Russian Federation.”
Meloni visited Kyiv in January, and met President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Rome last month.
“,”title”:”Italy’s Meloni links Russian instability to aggression in Ukraine “,”byline”:”Amy Kazmin in Rome”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”e123e2f4-7dd9-4ec1-b020-d2380363faa9″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T09:01:50.192Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Russia’s army is conducting “operational and combat activities” in the Voronezh region, its governor said, as the Wagner paramilitary group reported that a column of its forces was moving north through the area towards Moscow.
Governor Alexander Gusev located around eight hours’ drive south of the capital, wrote on his telegram channel that the M4 highway was blocked.
A Wagner channel on Telegram showed a string of military vehicles driving on a road and claimed the “Wagner convoy” was “2km away from Buturlinovka”, a village in the Voronezh region.
“They are headed to the airfield,” the message said. “In each column there is a fighter in a vehicle ready to fire Manpads [surface-to-air missiles].”
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Russia unleashed massive overnight air strikes on Ukraine even as its army leadership faced an uprising led by the head of Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Ukraine’s air force said 41 out of 51 cruise missiles that were fired in the early hours of Saturday were intercepted by air defences, as were two attack drones.
“Night shelling of civilians is the style of terrorists. Russian style,” Ukraine’s interior affairs minister Ihor Klymenko said in a social media post.
Klymenko said at least three people in Kyiv were killed when debris hit a high-rise apartment building.
He added that regions targeted also included Vinnytsia in the country’s west, the eastern province of Kharkiv and centrally-located Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad.
“,”title”:”Russian air strikes hit Kyiv and other regions in Ukraine”,”byline”:”Roman Olearchyk in Kyiv”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”806a0e37-2e33-4b32-95d0-27b391e972fb”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T08:33:18.646Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Beijing did not immediately officially react to events in Russia but state media carried numerous reports on warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin’s alleged mutiny, mostly sticking to the Kremlin’s line on the uprising.
CCTV News, the state television station, on Saturday reported Russian President Vladimir Putin’s address condemning the alleged uprising and promising harsh measures against those responsible.
Since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, China has parroted Moscow’s propaganda on the conflict, including blaming Nato for the war and minimising Ukrainian battlefield successes.
“,”title”:”Chinese media stick with Kremlin line on uprising”,”byline”:”Joe Leahy in Beijing”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”1bcd6e91-6a58-4310-a4d1-639cb2db5e15″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T08:24:53.446Z”,”bodyHTML”:”ntttntttt ![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2Faccd375e-ca2a-49b9-bbe8-49451b82cd69.jpg?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700")
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Vladimir Putin has likened warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin’s uprising against Russia’s army to the collapse of the Russian empire and state in 1917, the furthest the Russian president has gone to warn of possible state collapse.
In his address to the nation on Saturday, Putin said Prigozhin’s “treason” was a “stab in the back” he likened to the Russian Revolution in 1917, when the Tsar was overthrown and the Bolsheviks later took power in the face of unrest about the first world war.
“Intrigues, spats, and politicking behind the army and people’s back ended in an enormous collapse, the destruction of the army and the fall of the state, the loss of huge territories, and in the end, the tragedy of civil war,” Putin said.
“We won’t let that happen again. We will defend our people and our statehood from any threats. Including domestic treason,” he said.
“,”title”:”Putin likens uprising to events of 1917″,”byline”:”Max Seddon in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”8ce00642-82df-455f-893c-001b36a45d8a”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T08:03:50.030Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
European leaders are monitoring events in Russia as the uprising unfolds.
In France, an Elysée official said: “The president is following the situation closely. We remain focused on the support of Ukraine.”
“This is an internal Russian affair,” said Eric Mamer, spokesperson for the European Commission. “We are monitoring the situation”.
A spokesperson for the EU’s foreign and security arm said it was consulting with member state capitals and EU allies over the events in Russia.
Poland’s president Andrzej Duda said that he had consulted with the country’s allies and that Warsaw was monitoring events in Russia “on an ongoing basis.”
“Due to the situation in Russia, we held consultations this morning with the prime minister and the Ministry of Defense, as well as with allies. The course of events beyond our eastern border is monitored on an ongoing basis,” Duda wrote on Twitter.
A Nato spokesperson told the FT that the organisation was “monitoring the situation”.
“,”title”:”Europe watches events unfold in Russia”,”byline”:”Henry Foy in Brussels and Leila Abboud in Paris”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”fabfc5df-6f49-478a-a04a-7e431cdc7f73″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T07:47:44.333Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Vladimir Putin has admitted the situation in Rostov-on-Don is “complicated” after Yevgeny Prigozhin’s forces seized command points in the southern city and called on the Wagner mercenary group’s rank-and-file to lay down their arms.
“Those who organised and prepared the military uprising, who took arms against their comrades, have betrayed Russia. And will pay for it. And I call on those who they are trying to drag into this crime not to commit a fatal and tragic, irreversible mistake, and to make the only right choice — to stop participating in this crime,” the Russian president said.
Putin likened the warlord’s uprising to the collapse of the Russian state in 1917.
In his address to the nation about the Wagner paramilitary commander’s “march of justice” against Russia’s army, the Russian president said Russia would take “decisive measures to stabilise the situation” in Rostov-on-Don, a southern city home to a major Russian command point where Prigozhin claimed to have taken over all military facilities.
“The work of civil and military command is essentially blockaded,” Putin said.
Putin said Russia’s armed forces had also “received essential orders” for “additional measures of an anti-terrorist nature” in Moscow and “several other regions.”
The step essentially puts the FSB, Russia’s main security service, in charge of the areas and gives it the right to detain anyone, seize anything, or raid any place they see fit.
“,”title”:”Putin calls on Wagner forces to lay down their arms”,”byline”:”Max Seddon in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”35b1f728-e305-41d9-8dbf-5685f0b9f5d5″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T07:39:00.525Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
The UK Ministry of Defence says that the Wagner group crossed from Ukraine into Russia in at least two locations.
In a tweet on Saturday morning, the ministry said that Wagner had “almost certainly occupied key security sites” in the city of Rostov-on-Don and was heading north through the Vorenezh region, heading for Moscow.
It added that the uprising was “the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times”.
n”,”title”:”UK Ministry of Defence says Wagner likely heading for Moscow”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”96c9e62e-7cb7-4cc2-8e17-a4f4c54bac5a”,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T07:23:35.992Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Vladimir Putin has said “the fate of our people is being decided” and accused Yevgeny Prigozhin of “treason” after the warlord launched an uprising against Russia’s army, taking over at least one Russian city.
In his first comments since Prigozhin, founder of notorious mercenary group Wagner, announced a “march of justice” against the army’s leadership, Putin, Russia’s president, said the revolt was a “stab in the back for our country and our people”.
Without mentioning Prigozhin, who had hitherto enjoyed his personal patronage, by name, Putin said: “What we are dealing with is treason. Unchecked ambitions and personal interests have brought about betrayal of our country and our people, and the cause that the fighters and commanders of the Wagner group fought and died for alongside other units.”
Putin vowed he would “neutralise” the revolt and said Wagner’s rank-and-file had been “tricked and threatened” to take part in what amounted to the first coup attempt in Russia for three decades.
“I will do everything as a citizen of Russia to defend the country. Decisive measures will be taken. They will be harsh,” he added. “We will overcome all challenges and become even stronger.”
“,”title”:”Putin accuses Prigozhin of treason”,”byline”:”Max Seddon in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”6ef4fa99-7ce7-4652-b29d-263042a8f6a0″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T07:23:17.177Z”,”bodyHTML”:”
Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group, claims his forces are “blockading” the southern Russian city of Rostov and marching on Moscow.
Armed, masked men with tanks and armoured vehicles have surrounded government buildings in Rostov, where Prigozhin appears to have taken over a Russian army base.
Prigozhin said his operation was a “march of justice” against defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, commander of Russia’s invasion forces.
He insisted his action was not hindering operations in the invasion of Ukraine.
The FSB, Russia’s main security service, on Friday accused Prigozhin of organising an armed uprising, while two senior generals who rarely speak in public urged Wagner’s fighters to stand down from a “state coup”.
The chaos follows months of public infighting between Wagner and the army as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues to sputter.
There has been no independent confirmation of any of Prigozhin’s statements.
“,”title”:”Latest developments in Russia”,”byline”:”John Aglionby”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”},{“standout”:{“breakingNews”:false,”editorsChoice”:false,”exclusive”:false,”scoop”:false},”id”:”2098ed2c-ac4d-4248-a720-432c7c1c8c51″,”publishedDate”:”2023-06-24T07:19:47.464Z”,”bodyHTML”:”ntttntttt ![](http://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net%2Fproduction%2F3e2ad2c6-2505-4f57-8fc5-30954d7281f9.jpg?fit=scale-down&source=next&width=700")
nttttntttnttttPrigozhin serves Putin in 2011 © APntttnttntttntt
Yevgeny’s Prigozhin’s ties to Putin date back to when the then deputy mayor of St Petersburg spent evenings at his restaurant in the 1990s. It had earned Prigozhin a direct line to the Russian president, according to two people who know them.
His ascent within the Kremlin came with Putin’s personal approval after the president realised the scale of the army’s disastrous performance in Ukraine under defence minister Shoigu, said a person close to Prigozhin.
The limelight emboldened Prigozhin so much that he set his sights on ousting Shoigu, one of Putin’s oldest allies, according to the Wagner leader’s associate and two senior western officials.
For more on Prigozhin, click here.
“,”title”:”Who is Prigozhin?”,”byline”:”Max Seddon in Riga”,”backToTop”:”o-topper”}],”articleUrl”:”https://www.ft.com/content/9cd09366-25db-4057-a41d-0ea04b659d97″,”showShareButtons”:true}}]