Wagner Group LIVE: Russia prepares for battle in Moscow

Fighters from the Wagner mercenary group have left the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don with their leader Yevegeny Prigozhin, the regional governor said early on Sunday.

'A Wagner column left Rostov and headed to their field camps,' governor Vasily Golubev said on Telegram.

Despite Prigozhin saying he was withdrawing to avoid 'spilling Russian blood', Moscow media has claimed at least 13 Russian soldiers lost their lives during Wagner's aborted mutiny.

Three thousand elite Chechen troops took up positions in Moscow early on Saturday morning to defend the Russian capital against advancing mutineers from the Wagner mercenary group, the Chechen state broadcaster Grozny' said tonight.

'The fighters have been at their positions in Moscow since early morning and are ready to carry out any order from Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Putin,' it said on Telegram.

Wagner troops were cheered out of Rostov tonight after their leader agreed to withdraw his army from Russia to their bases in Ukraine.

It comes as streets in the centre of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don were being reopened to traffic as the Wagner mercenary fighters who took control of facilities there today began to pull out.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said mutiny accusations were dropped against Prigozhin.

The Wagner troops who did not participate in the uprising will sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense, Peskov added.

Wagner's fighters who participated will not be charged, the Kremlin claimed.

Wagner mercenary force chief Yevgeny Prigozhin will move to Belarus under a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to end an armed mutiny that Prigozhin had led against Russia's military leadership, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Lukashenko had offered to mediate, with Russian President Vladimir Putin's agreement, because he had known Prigozhin personally for around 20 years.

Wagner mercenary force chief Yevgeny Prigozhin will move to Belarus under a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to end an armed mutiny that Prigozhin had led against Russia's military leadership, the Kremlin said on Saturday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Lukashenko had offered to mediate, with Russian President Vladimir Putin's agreement, because he had known Prigozhin personally for around 20 years.

Russia will not prosecute members of Wagner force, the Kremlin has claimed

It comes after a solution to the standoff was agreed, which Belarus claimed included security guarantees for Wagner fighters.

As news emerged that the Wagner mercenary group's march on Moscow was coming to an end, Ukraine's President used the opportunity to highlight the 'chaos' inside Russia and Vladimir Putin's apparent weakness.

'Today the world saw that the bosses of Russia do not control anything. Nothing at all. Complete chaos. Complete absence of any predictability,' he said in a video shared to social media.

Vladimir Putin has thanked the Belarusian leader for his role, Minsk claimed, after the Wagner Group turned back on its march to Moscow.

'The President of Belarus informed the President of Russia in detail about the results of negotiations with the leadership of PMC Wagner,' Lukashenko's press service said in a statement, adding Putin 'thanked his Belarusian colleague.'

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had a second telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin this evening to inform him of the results of his talks with Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Belarusian state news agency Belta reported.

Earlier, Lukashenko's office said he had spoken to Prigozhin with Putin's approval, and that the mutinous head of the Wagner militia had agreed to stop the movements of his fighters, some of whom were advancing on Moscow in a convoy, and de-escalate.

The chief of the rebel Wagner mercenary forces threatened to march on Moscow on Saturday before announcing a stunning pull-back, saying he did not want to spill blood.

Prigozhin appeared to say in audio on a Wagner-affiliated Telegram group: 'They were going to dismantle PMC Wagner. We came out on 23 June to the March of Justice.

'In a day, we walked to nearly 200km away from Moscow. In this time, we did not spill a single drop of blood of our fighters. Now, the moment has come when blood may spill.

'That’s why, understanding the responsibility for spilling Russian blood on one of the sides, we are turning back our convoys and going back to field camps according to the plan.'

Russian media is reporting that Vladimir Putin asked his ally, Belarusian president Lukashenko, to mediate with Prigozhin.

It claims Lukashenko accepted the proposal to stop Wagner from moving further in Russia and take further steps to de-escalate tensions.

Lukashenko's press service is also reporting that there is now a draft solution to the standoff, which includes security guarantees for Wagner fighters.

Rishi Sunak has spoken to the leaders of the US, France and Germany about the armed rebellion in Russia.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: 'The Prime Minister, US President Biden, French President Macron and German Chancellor Scholz spoke this afternoon to discuss the situation in Russia and reiterate their continuing support for Ukrainian sovereignty.

'This follows the call between G7 Foreign Ministers, which the Foreign Secretary participated in earlier today.

'The leaders have agreed to stay in close contact in the coming days.'

Lukashenko held talks with the head of Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin, the press service of the President of Belarus reports.

A long-time staunch ally of Vladimir Putin, the Belarusian President is reported to have held a phone call with his Russian counterpart earlier today.

Russian media is reporting that Putin asked Belarus president Lukashenko to mediate with Prigozhin, who accepted the proposal to stop Wagner from moving further in Russia and take further steps to de-escalate tensions.

A second Russian presidential jet - an Il-96-300PU with registration number RA-96021 - was noticed flying from Moscow in the direction of St Petersburg. 

Like the earlier aircraft, this one carries top Kremlin officials including the president. 

It also switched off its transponder to prevent tracking the route. 

The State Duma will work as usual, the deputies have a lot of work that cannot be postponed, the head of the chamber commission on regulations reports.

The source also said that Wagner's plan for Moscow was to take up positions in a densely built-up area. 

US President Joe Biden on Saturday discussed the unfolding crisis in Russia with the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, affirming the allies staunch support for Ukraine.

According to a statement from the White House, Biden spoke by telephone with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about 'the situation in Russia.'

In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin is facing the biggest threat to his rule yet with rebel mercenaries advancing towards the Russian capital after seizing a key military base.
The leaders 'affirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine,' the White House statement added.

A White House spokesman also said Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed by their national security team Saturday morning on the Russian crisis and will continue to be briefed throughout the day.

The White House has said that President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed about the latest developments in Russia by their National Security Team this morning.

France has advised against all travel to Russia due to the 'high volatility' of the military and security situation in the country, its foreign ministry said.

Russia is the world's largest wheat exporter with Rostov being its second-largest grain-producing region and home to the Don river ports which connect vessels exporting grain with the Azov Sea.

'The scale of risks is unknown at the moment. It all depends on how the situation develops. For now, everything continues to work as it did,' Andrey Sizov, head of Sovecon agriculture consultancy, said.

'But the timing, of course, is inconvenient,' Sizov said, referring to the start of harvesting in the region in about a week.

Russia's main grain exporting terminals on the Black Sea are further south, and this area has been unaffected by the developments so far.

Putin's body language betrays his 'high levels of anger' and shows he is in 'action mode', an expert has claimed. 

The Russian president today branded Prigozhin's Wagner group as 'traitors' as he addressed his people on TV - after the Wagner rebels vowed to punish military leaders and headed for Moscow. 

Body language expert Adrianne Carter warned Putin has never looked more dangerous, telling the Daily Star: 'Putin shows high levels of anger and dislike.'

She added: 'He's in action mode so beware!' 

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Residents could be seen walking past soldiers of the Wagner Group in Rostov-on-Don today after the militia had taken control of key military sites in the city.

Ordinary Muscovites in the capital have reacted to the news of Prigozhin's military coup attempt - as armoured cars are seen on the streets of the Russian capital.

Flights out of the city have reportedly sold out as the Wagner group approach, with German news site Der Spiegel claiming tickets for direct connections from Moscow to Tbilisi, Astana and Istanbul are no longer available. 

Google maps is apparently showing road closures on the M4, south of Moscow - the route the Wagner rebels are taking.  

One resident, named Nikolai, said: 'It's frightening, of course. You sit at home thinking about what might happen. It's disturbing both for you and your loved ones.' 

Lord Dannatt, former chief of the general staff of the UK army, said this 'could well be the moment' for Ukraine to win the war.

He told Times Radio: 'If they [Ukrainian forces] have found by now, one or two weak spots, this could well be the moment where there is huge confusion within Russia, huge confusion amongst the Russian military commander control, for the Ukrainians to launch between 10 and 12 Western equipped and well-trained manoeuvre brigade groups into a potential breakthrough situation, and really change the battlefield situation in Ukraine.

'If that were to happen, allied with what Prigozhin is doing, then Putin’s days are numbered in a handful, and probably even less.'

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Saturday asked people to refrain from trips around the city as far as possible given a counter-terrorism operation had been declared and said the situation was 'difficult'.

Sobyanin also said in a statement that Monday would be a non-working day - with some exceptions - in order 'to minimize risks.'

He issued the statement as mutinous Wagner mercenary fighters appeared to be continuing to drive toward Moscow from southern Russia.

A Wagner 'coup' should not be seen as a 'positive development', a senior politics lecturer claimed. 

Dr Colin Alexander, who is a senior lecturer in Political Communication at Nottingham Trent University, said: 'It should be made clear at this point that Wagner is no friend of the West and a successful coup should not be viewed as a positive development.

'If the ambition is for Russia to finally become a member of the community of liberal and democratic nations then that won't be achieved through a Yevgeny Prigozhin led Moscow administration.

'It will certainly weaken Moscow within international relations though and maybe that is good enough for some.'

He added that Prigozhin had already achieved more than Alexei Navalny or Vladimir Kara-Murza in challenging Putin's authority in this 'act of militarism'.

Private Military Company (PMC) Wagner is a mercenary group headed up by Russian oligarch and formerly a close Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin.  

The group has for years acted as Putin's personal band of enforcers, though it maintains connections with Russia's foreign military intelligence agency, the GRU.

Founded in 2014, the Wagner Group got straight to work following the annexation of Crimea, arming and organising separatist groups in the Donbas region of Ukraine.

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Russia's foreign ministry said that it warned Western countries against using the Wagner mercenary group’s mutiny 'to achieve their Russophobic goals'.

The ministry's social media channels still remain active and it shared a post by Belarus's Ministry of Foreign Affairs calling the war in Ukraine a 'battle for the future of the Slavic world'.

'We cannot remain aloof from the events happening in the south of Russia,' they added.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has called an emergency Cobra meeting as he prepares to phone Ukrainian President Zelensky amid the Russian coup by Wagner chief Yevgney Prigozhin against Putin and the Russian leadership.

President Zelensky slammed Russia's 'full-scale weakness' as he and leaders around the world watch the dramatic events unfolding in the west of the country after the Wagner group began heading north to Moscow in an armed convoy. 

Mr Sunak said he is in touch with allies about the armed rebellion led by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia, which UK defence officials have described as 'the most significant challenge' to the Kremlin in recent times.

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Latvia has closed its border with Russia. In a tweet, the Foreign Minister said entry for anyone leaving 'due to current events' would not be considered for entry.

Latvia also suspended visa applications and entry to the country from Russia.

'Visa or border entry [for] Russians leaving Russia due to current events won’t be considered,' Latvian Foreign Minister and incoming President Edgars Rinkēvičs wrote on Twitter, while he assured that there was 'no direct threat to Latvia at this time.'

This comes after Estonia has said it was increasing security along its border, with Prime Minister Kaja Kallas saying that she was in 'close touch' with her Latvian, Lithuanian and Finnish counterparts.

Moscow is preparing for war and battening down the hatches as soldiers build outposts and military vehicles flood the streets ahead of the expected arrival of Russia's Wagner militia forces.

Pro-Putin forces on the outskirts of the city were meanwhile seen digging in against the Wagner coup army heading towards the capital.

Russian troops were pictured establishing positions at a bridge across the Oka River. They deployed barrage equipment, machine guns and grenade launchers.

Other photos showed soldiers setting up barricades and machine gun nests a little way out of the city, as Putin signed into law a measure that allows people to be detained for up to 30 days in areas where marshal is imposed - not that this has yet happened. 

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The top US diplomat has held crisis talks with America's closest allies, as Wagner Group private mercenaries launched an armed rebellion against Russian leader Vladimir Putin.  

Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a call on Saturday morning with his G7 and EU counterparts, after Wagner fighters took control of some military facilities in southern Russia.

'The United States will stay in close coordination with Allies and partners as the situation continues to develop,' Blinken wrote on Twitter.

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The governor of Russia's Lipetsk province said Saturday that the Wagner mercenary group has entered the region.

The Lipetsk region is about 225 miles south of Moscow and much closer to the capital than Rostov-on-Don, where Wagner forces appeared during the night.

Authorities 'are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the population. The situation is under control,' governor Igor Artamonov said on Telegram. He did not give details about the Wagner Group's presence.

Russia's Wagner militia forces are headed towards Moscow on Saturday after chief Yevgney Prigozhin initiated a military coup against Putin and his regime, which has seen the group take key cities and mock the President, who called them 'traitors'.

The unit passed through the halfway city of Voronezh and have reached as far north as Yelets as they advance on Moscow, seeing negligible resistance. A huge oil depot was seen bursting into flames in the city, with a helicopter in the air at the time. 

Footage on social media has shown large convoys of troops heading north from Voronezh, thought to be Wagner mercenaries. They are also said to be on their way to other key cities including Krasnodar and Volgograd.

Russia has responded by increasing security in Moscow, mobilising troops who are set to defend against the incursion, and calling for the military to rally around President Putin. 

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A presidential plane linked to Vladimir Putin flew north from Moscow towards Tver and switched off its transponder, according to multiple reports.

Other business jets were seen making an exodus from the capital towards St Petersburg.

Earlier there were reports from Ukrainian intelligence indicating Putin had left from Moscow by helicopter for his palace at Valdai, between Moscow and St Petersburg.

It comes as a sinister message posted on the Wagner Telegram channel on Saturday said: 'Putin made the wrong choice. All the worse for him. 

'Soon we will have a new president.'

Read the full article here: 

Russian media reports that money was found at the St Petersburg headquarters of the Wagner group.

Prigozhin has now confirmed this to news agency Reuters. 

It comes as a presidential plane linked to Vladimir Putin flew north from Moscow towards Tver and switched off its transponder, according to multiple reports.

Other business jets were seen making an exodus from the capital towards St Petersburg.

Flights from Moscow have reportedly sold out as the Wagner mercenary group approach, German newspaper Der Spiegel reports.

Tickets for direct connections from Moscow to Tbilisi, Astana and Istanbul are now unavailable. 

Google Maps is also showing road closures on the M4 south of Moscow, the route the Wagner soldiers are taking on their way to the capital.

Multiple reports claimed Putin had left Moscow on Saturday afternoon, despite officials saying he was working in the Kremlin.

A presidential plane linked to Vladimir Putin flew north from Moscow towards Tver before switching off its transponder, live flight data showed.

Other business jets were seen making an exodus from the capital towards St Petersburg.

Russian military helicopters opened fire on Saturday afternoon on a convoy of rebel mercenaries already more than halfway towards Moscow in a lightning advance after seizing a southern city overnight.

President Vladimir Putin vowed to crush an armed mutiny he compared to Russia's Civil War a century ago.

Fighters from Yevgeny Prigozhin's private Wagner militia were in control of Rostov-on-Don, a city of more than a million people close to the border with Ukraine, and were rapidly advancing northwards through western Russia.

A journalist in Russia saw army helicopters open fire at an armed Wagner column that was advancing past the city of Voronezh with troop carriers and at least one tank on a flatbed truck. The city is more than halfway along the 680-mile highway from Rostov to Moscow.

Estonia's prime minister says her country has stepped up border security following an armed rebellion in neighboring Russia by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, whose country is a strong backer of Ukraine and has tense relations with Russia, wrote on Twitter that Estonia is 'closely following' developments and exchanging information with allies.

She wrote: 'I can assure that there is no direct threat to our country. Border security has been strengthened.'

Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said the Russian military was attacking his advancing troops driving on the M-4 highway leading to Moscow.

The convoy was driving past Voronezh, where an oil depot was engulfed in flames earlier today.

Prigozhin wrote: "We were fired upon: first artillery strikes, and then from helicopters.'

A military column of the Wagner Group is pictured driving along the M-4 highway today, which links the capital Moscow with Russia's southern cities, near Voronezh, where an oil depot burst into flames, with the smoke clouding the sky.

READ MORE HERE.

Mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claims that his troops entered the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don without a single shot and says that no one was killed during what he calls a 'march of justice'.

Prigozhin said in a new audio statement on Saturday that 'we didn't touch a single conscript, we didn't kill a single person on our way.' He added that the Russian air force targeted his troops, but they still managed to seize military headquarters in Rostov 'without a single gunshot.'

His claims could not be independently verified. The Russian authorities haven´t reported any casualties so far, either.

Shortly before Prigozhin released his statement, an explosion was heard near the military headquarters his Wagner group apparently controls in Rostov. It was not immediately clear where the explosion occurred, how big it was and whether it caused any damage.

Unexpected support for mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin's endeavor came from exiled tycoon turned opposition leader Mikhail Khodorkovsky.

Khodorkovsky said in a Facebook post that Prigozhin's rebellion is 'the strongest blow to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's reputation,' and that helping him get to Moscow would be 'helping our country.'

He said Prigozhin had 'repeated word for word what we, the anti-war opposition, have been saying since the beginning of the war' - that the 'purpose of the war is theft' and no one believes in the official reason for the war in Ukraine.

Khodorkovsky wrote: 'Help the devil, if he decides to oppose this regime! Help because there is no crime worse than unleashing an aggressive war. If one criminal is ready to interfere with another ... we need to help, and then, if necessary, we will tackle them.'

Prigozhin's Wagner group have reportedly said Russian leaders will be toppled and 'soon we will have a new president'. 

It comes as the Wagner group claimed to have shot down three Russian helicopters since its coup began - as they continue their vow to punish military leaders. 

Shocking footage shows huge black plumes of smoke rising into the air on a field after what is claimed to be a helicopter was targeted and burst into flames. 

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These latest pictures show trucks transporting fighters and equipment of the Wagern group on their drive along the M-4 highway, which connects Moscow with Russia's southern cities.

The pictures were taken near Voronezh, Russia, where an oil depot exploded earlier today.

Pro-war Russian nationalists led by a former FSB security service officer said on Saturday they would soon publish a plan of action to respond to an armed mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group.

The Russian nationalist group, known as the 'Club of Angry Patriots,' said in a statement that a civil war could lead to a humiliating military defeat for the Russian army in Ukraine and warned that Russia was on the brink of catastrophe.

After the Wagner Group started a 'coup' against Putin in the early hours of Saturday, June 24, MailOnline answers the burning questions about the mercenary militia.

How many soldiers does Wagner have? 

According to the group's highest-ranking officer, Yevgeny Prigozhin, he had 25,000 soldiers under his command for the military offensive against Putin. 

Back in January, the UK Ministry of Defence said Wagner was commanding about 50,000 fighters in Ukraine.

More than 20,000 Wagner soldiers were reportedly killed while fighting in Ukraine, many of which died in the months-long battle for control of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. 

READ MORE HERE:

The British government's emergency committee, known as Cobra, is meeting to discuss the ongoing situation in Russia, BBC reporter Laura Kuenssberg said on Saturday.

Kuenssberg interviewed British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier on Saturday, when he said he would speak with allies and urged all parties in the conflict in Russia to avoid harm to civilians.

Russia's Wagner militia forces are headed towards Moscow on Saturday after chief Yevgney Prigozhin initiated a military coup against Putin and his regime, which has seen the group take key cities and mock the President, who called them 'traitors'.

The unit has also passed through the halfway city of Voronezh as they advance on Moscow, seeing negligible resistance. A huge oil depot was seen bursting into flames in the city, with a helicopter in the air at the time. 

Footage on social media has shown large convoys of troops heading north from Voronezh, thought to be Wagner mercenaries. They are also said to be on their way to other key cities including Krasnodar and Volgograd.

Russia has responded by increasing security in Moscow, mobilising troops who are set to defend against the incursion, and calling for the military to rally around President Putin. 

READ MORE HERE:

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on the international community to 'abandon false neutrality' and give his country the weapons it needs to 'put an end to the evil' of Putin's regime.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he is in touch with allies about the armed rebellion led by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia, which UK defence officials have described as 'the most significant challenge' to the Kremlin in recent times.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the actions of the private military company a 'betrayal', after its chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, vowed to topple Moscow's military leadership.

The Prime Minister urged all parties involved to protect civilian lives, as he indicated he will speak to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenksy and other western leaders later on Saturday.

'We're keeping a close eye on the situation, as it's evolving on the ground as we speak,' he told the BBC.

'The most important thing I'd say is for all parties to be responsible and to protect civilians, and that's about as much as I can say at this moment.'

Asked whether he had spoken to Mr Zelenksy, Mr Sunak said: 'I'm in touch with our allies.

'I'll be speaking to some of them later today, as you would expect us to be co-ordinated on a situation like this, but it is evolving as we speak.'

He declined to say whether it is good or bad news that Mr Putin is being challenged.

Pressed on advice for British citizens remaining in Russia, Mr Sunak said the UK has "had long-standing travel advice against travel to Russia" and "people should keep checking the Foreign Office website for updates".

Footage emerged online which appeared to show a major oil depot engulfed in flames in Voronezh. 

Videos show a helicopter flying over the depot before a huge explosion sends a fireball into the air.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that 'Russia's weakness is obvious' and that the longer Moscow keeps its troops and mercenaries in Ukraine, the more chaos it would invite back home.

He made the comments on the Telegram messaging app amid an apparent mutiny on Saturday by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin against the Russian military.

'Russia's weakness is obvious. Full-scale weakness,' Zelenskiy wrote.

'And the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain and problems it will have for itself later.'

Germany's foreign ministry told travellers on Saturday to avoid the city of Rostov and the surrounding area as well as Moscow city centre until further notice due to events taking place in Russia.

'In Moscow, state, especially military facilities, are to be avoided. The city centre should be avoided until further notice.

'The instructions of Russian security authorities should be followed at all costs,' it said in its updated travel advice.

An armed rebellion led by the Wagner mercenary group marks 'the most significant challenge to the Russian state' in recent times, according to UK defence officials.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the actions of the private military company a 'betrayal', after its chief Yevgeny Prigozhin vowed to topple Moscow's military leadership.

In its latest intelligence briefing, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that 'over the coming hours, the loyalty of Russia's security forces... will be key to how the crisis plays out' as Wagner forces appear to be moving towards the Russian capital.

Conservative chairman of the Commons Defence Committee Tobias Ellwood described the developments as a 'huge opportunity for Ukraine to exploit the current mutiny and chaos in Russia'.

Tory former Cabinet minister Simon Clarke tweeted: 'Incredibly serious, and a day when we should remember with thanks our exceptional intelligence and military community who will be monitoring this closely.'

Russian speaker Vyacheslav Volodin postponed a trip to Vietnam amid the crisis in Moscow.

Putin phoned his only European ally, sickly Alexander Lukashenko, to discuss the crisis.

A picture showed a downed Russian strike aircraft evidently sent to attack the Prigozhin coup convoy.

New footage showed the Wagner forces heading for Moscow.

They took control of an airfield at Buturlinovka in Voronezh region.

Wagner Group's name is believed to have derived from the callsign of one of its operational commanders Dmitry Utkin as the name he was designated for his love of famed German composer Richard Wagner.

The private military organisation is responsible for much of Moscow's military success on the front lines of Ukraine and its fighters have earned a reputation for their brazen assaults - and brutal treatment of their foes.

Wagner operatives have also grabbed headlines for medieval summary executions of Ukrainian prisoners and defecting Russians alike, using sledgehammers and blunt knives to violently exterminate helpless charges.

READ MORE HERE:

After Putin's public address this morning, the Russian president accused Wagner Group leader Prigozhin of leading an armed mutiny, calling it treason.

Prigozhin has now hit back, saying: 'You're wrong to accuse me of treason.'

He says no Wagner soldiers plan to turn themselves in on the president's orders.

He said Russians don't want to live with corruption, lies and bureaucracy anymore. 

Christo Grozev is the lead Russian investigator with Bellingcat and has picked up on 'multiple reports' that Russian forces are surrendering to the Wagner group 'with no resistance'.

A brutal civil war in Russia is beginning, claimed Ukrainian presidential aide Mykailo Podolyak.

'The start of the Ukrainian counter-offensive definitively destabilised the Russian elites, deepening the internal division that arose after the defeat in Ukraine.

'Today we are actually witnessing the beginning of a civil war.

'Prigozhin's group captures military installations, headquarters and entire cities, encountering almost no resistance on their way, disarming random soldiers and policemen.

'Putin declares Prigozhin a traitor and outlaw and announces the appropriate orders to the special services, but nothing happens - a crisis of governance, the actual loss of power.

'At the same time, Wagner continues its march on Moscow. Ukraine continues to move its own way… to the 1991 borders.'

This would mean the return of Crimea and the Donbas, along with other invaded regions, to Kyiv’s control.

The shaven-headed man spits obscenities into the camera. Thrusting his head forward and glaring at the viewer, he unleashes a volley of abuse at Russian Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov and Minister of Defence Sergey Shoigu. The man is Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of brutal Russian mercenary outfit the Wagner Group — and he is desperate.

Prigozhin is at war on two fronts. On the ground, his forces are dying in ever greater numbers on the frontline in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. On video and in print, he is taking on the Russian elites he so despises.

And recently he escalated his campaign to an unthinkable level in a new video. We have a 'happy Grandpa', he says, snarling into the camera. 'But how do you win a war,' he asks sarcastically, 'if it turns out that this Grandpa is a complete d***head?'

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The governor of Russia's Voronezh region said on Saturday that the army was taking 'necessary military measures' in the region as part of a counter-terrorist operation declared after an armed mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group.

Earlier on Saturday, a Russian security source told news agency Reuters that Wagner fighters had taken control of military facilities in the city of Voronezh, about 500 km (310 miles) south of Moscow.

However, these claims could not be independently confirmed.

For months the Wagner mercenary chief has bombarded Russia's military leaders with expletive-ridden rants slating and rebuking their competence in an ongoing rift that has weakened the country's forces amid its assault on Ukraine. 

Now the standoff between Yevgeny Prigozhin and the defence ministry appears to have come to a head, as the millionaire mercenary group boss called for an armed rebellion in direct challenge to the Kremlin.

Prigozhin said he would take all necessary steps to topple the country's military leadership as he claimed his forces had 'crossed state borders' and were ready to 'destroy anything that gets in the way'.

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Several members of Putin's circle called on security council chief Nikolai Patrushev to seize power amid concerns the weakened dictator is unable to clampdown on Wagner, say rumours in Moscow.

Patrushev, 71, secretary of the powerful Russian security council, is seen as being in charge of the response.

'The president has practically withdrawn himself from solving the current crisis,' reported General SVR Telegram channel.

Patrushev believes the armed revolt should be 'severely repressed' but refused to take control of the government, according to their report.

Nikolai Patrushev is seen as wanting to install his son Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev as next Russian president when Putin steps down. 

A message posted on the Wagner Telegram channel on Saturday said: 'Putin made the wrong choice.

'All the worse for him. Soon we will have a new president.'

Putin described the group's actions as a 'criminal adventuristic campaign' that is 'equivalent to armed mutiny', and urged those involved to cease any armed action, as the unit's HQ in St Petersburg was reportedly raided today.

Moscow is in lockdown amid growing fears of a military coup as Yvegney Prigozhin and his feared 25,000-strong Wagner militia take control of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, saying they are 'ready to die' as they vow revenge for a military strike from Putin’s forces that the mercenary leader says killed some of his men.

Residents have been told to stay in their homes by government officials, but some were seen out observing what was happening, even live-streaming the action on their cell phones.

Now the Moscow mayor, Sergey Sobyanin, has reportedly said all public events have been cancelled. 

'When we came here, we once again confirmed: a lot, a huge amount of territory was lost. Soldiers were killed three, four times more than reported to commanders. And what is reported is 10 times less than they say on TV. Losses per day amount to some days up to 1,000 people.'

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Photos from Rostov-on-Don show Wagner fighters patrolling the streets and standing guard as they took over the Russian military headquarters.

A video has captured the aftermath of a down helicopter, revealing a massive plume of black smoke billowing from the wreckage.

The downed helicopter is allegedly one of three shot down by the Wagner group. 

Russian forces confirmed three of its attack helicopters had been shot down.

Prigozhin claimed to have also shot down a Russian military helicopter in the city - home to the Kremlin's headquarters for the war in Ukraine - which 'opened fire on a civilian column'. 

Rostov-on-Don being seized by the Wagner group is 'quite significant' due to its military headquarters, which is coordinating operations in Ukraine, a former British army intelligence officer said.

Philip Ingram told Sky News: 'That's the headquarters of the Southern group of forces - that's where the whole of the operations into Ukraine are being coordinated.' 

Members of the Wagner military group could be seen atop a tank, which appears to be stuck in the entrance to a building in Rostov-on-Don, today.

The tank, which appears to be a T90, was later emptied of Wagner mercenaries.

Nicknamed 'Putin's chef' due to owning a number of restaurants and catering firms that supply the Kremlin, Yevgeny Prigozhin is the oligarch founder of the notorious Wagner Group.

Prigozhin was born in the Soviet Union on June 1 1961, before spending a period of time in jail for numerous crimes including fraud and robbery, during his teens.

After spending 9 years in prison, Prigozhin launched a number of businesses following the collapse of the Soviet Union, including grocery and gambling firms.

In 2014, Prigozhin founded Wagner Group during Russia's first invasion of Ukraine. The mercenary group has since become notorious for doing the Russian military's dirty work, leaving behind trails of brutal violence, rape and war crimes.

Prigozhin long denied any affiliation with the group until September 2022, when he admitted to founding the mercenary force.

He is often seen on the frontlines of the conflict with Ukraine, criticising Russian military leadership and accusing them of starving Wagner troops of supplies.

Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, is focusing on Russian defence policy and said today that now that Prigozhin's conflict is with Putin directly, it would be 'much more dangerous' to side with the Wagner chief.

Wagner's armoured vehicles were seen speeding through Voronezh region several hundreds miles from the capital on Saturday.

Russian forces confirmed three of its attack helicopters had been shot down by Wagner.

But some said it was not clear that the forces on the streets were Wagner, and they may have been forces loyal to the Kremlin. 

Prigozhin claimed to have also shot down a Russian military helicopter in the city - home to the Kremlin's headquarters for the war in Ukraine - which 'opened fire on a civilian column'. 

But there was no proof of his claim. 

Poland's president held consultations with the prime minister and defence ministry about the situation in Russia, he said on Saturday, adding that Warsaw was monitoring the situation.

'In connection with the situation in Russia, this morning we held consultations with the prime minister and the ministry of defence, as well as with allies,' Andrzej Duda wrote on Twitter.

'The course of events beyond our eastern border is monitored on an ongoing basis,' he said.

Britain's defence ministry said on Saturday that the Russian state was facing its greatest security challenge of recent times, following what it said appeared to be a move by Wagner Group forces towards Moscow.

Britain's defence ministry said in a regular intelligence update: 'Over the coming hours, the loyalty of Russia's security forces, and especially the Russian National Guard, will be key to how this crisis plays out.

'This represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times.'

Vladimir Putin has called Wagner chief Yvegney Prigozhin's military coup 'treason' as he addressed the Russian people on Saturday, warning that the military leader had 'stabbed him in the back' and Moscow is on lockdown amid a red alert.

Prigozhin and his feared 25,000-strong Wagner militia have reportedly control of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, saying they are 'ready to die' as they vow revenge for a military strike from Putin's forces that the mercenary leader says killed some of his men.

All public events have been cancelled in the Russian capital as Vladimir Putin took to TV in a bid to affirm his increasingly shaky grip on power.

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Wagner's armoured vehicles were seen speeding through Voronezh region several hundreds miles from the capital Moscow. 

Russian forces confirmed three of its attack helicopters had been shot down by Wagner.

A grave-looking Vladimir Putin told Russians: 'What we are facing now is treason.' 

The 70-year-old dictator warned: 'Everyone who deliberately embarked on the path of betrayal will suffer inevitable punishment. 

'The armed forces received the appropriate orders.'

He warned: 'As the President of Russia and Commander-in-Chief, as a citizen of Russia, I will do my utmost to defend the country, to protect the constitutional order, the lives, security and freedom of its citizens.

'Those who organised and prepared the military insurrection, who raised arms against their comrades-in-arms, have betrayed Russia.

'And they will be held accountable for it.'

Putin's law enforcement seem to have raided the Wagner office in St Petersburg, local news outlet Fontanka reported via Telegram today.

'Law enforcers have entered PMC Wagner Centre on St Petersburg's Zolnaya street,' it said. 

Riot police and national guards reportedly drove to the building in two buses and entered the building together with people in civilian clothing.