Armed rebellion in Russia: Russian Air Force bombs own city to stop Wagner, traffic on Moscow river temporarily suspended

A Russian Air Force Ka-52 'Alligator Attack Helicopter has bombed the Oil Refinery and Depot in Voronezh, in a bid to prevent the Wagner PMC Forces, which are marching on the city from the South.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken to Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, as per reports of Russian state news agency TASS reported. The Kremlin confirmed that Putin had also spoken to the leaders of Belarus and Kazakhstan today, amid the raging armed rebellion by the Wagner Group mercenary force.

Reacting to Russia's civil conflict, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on Ukrainian land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will have for itself later. "For a long time, Russia used propaganda to mask its weakness and the stupidity of its government. And now there is so much chaos that no lie can hide it," he tweeted.

He said: "For a long time, Russia used propaganda to mask its weakness and the stupidity of its government. And now there is so much chaos that no lie can hide it. And all this is one person, who again and again scares by the year 1917, although he is able to result in nothing else but this. Russia's weakness is obvious. Full-scale weakness. And the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will have for itself later. It is also obvious. Ukraine is able to protect Europe from the spread of Russian evil and chaos."

 

Yevgeny Prigozhin, Chief of Wagner Group that spearheaded much of Russia's offensive in Ukraine, said Vladimir Putin made a wrong choice. Wagner PMC said in its Telegram channel that Russia will have a new president soon. 

Earlier in the day, Yevgeny Prigozhin vowed to take all necessary steps to topple the country's military leadership in Moscow, saying his forces would "destroy everything" in their way. 

Following the Wagner Group's military coup in Russia, 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.

"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," Britain's defence ministry said in a regular intelligence update.

 

On Saturday, Ukraine president aide Mykhailo Podolyak said events were "just beginning" in Russia. 

"Everything is just beginning in Russia," presidential aide Podolyak said on Twitter. "The split between the elites is too obvious. Agreeing and pretending that everything is settled won't work."

"The events gained widespread publicity in Russia and even an insulting legal evaluation by the #FSB Special Purpose Center, the National Anti-Terrorist Center, and the Prosecutor General's Office. The split between the elites is too obvious. Agreeing and pretending that everything is settled won't work. Someone must definitely lose: either Prigozhin (with a fatal ending), or the collective "anti-Prygozhin" (#Putin's group and the "Ozero" cooperative). Everything is just beginning in Russia," Podolyak said.

 

French President Emmanuel Macron is following the situation in Russia "closely," the Elysee Palace said Saturday. “The President is monitoring the situation closely. We remain focused on supporting Ukraine," the Elysee said.

On Saturday morning, Prigozhin said that he and his troops have reached Rostov-on-Don. In his first public address, Prigozhin said his troops have fully captured the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, AP reported on Saturday. Rostov is home to the Russian military headquarters that oversees the fighting in Ukraine.

The head of the Wagner mercenary group claimed to have seized control of all military sites in the city of Rostov-on-Don and demanded that Russia’s military leadership come to him after accusing them of killing his forces.

The state media reported that an armed Wagner convoy has now left the city of Rostov and is heading towards the city of Voronezh, which is six hours from Moscow by road.

Meanwhile, Moscow has declared ‘counter-terrorist regime’ to give security forces increased powers. 

Earlier, Russian authorities accused Prigozhin of trying to start a “civil conflict” and ordered his arrest following the growing tensions between rival Kremlin camps over the Ukraine war, according to state media reports.

 

Earlier, a Kremlin spokesperson said that Putin was being updated on the situation around the Wagner Group's coup and that “necessary measures are being taken.”

Reuters reported that the Russian defence ministry is telling Wagner fighters they were deceived and were dragged into criminal adventure, the state news agency RIA has reported.

The ministry called on the Wagner mercenaries to contact their representatives and those of law enforcement services, the Tass news agency said.

The ministry said it would guarantee their security.

As per agency reports, the security forces in Moscow are on high alert and all important locations are now being protected. In the southern region of Rostov, officials asked residents to stay home.

Prigozhin said his Wagner fighters had crossed the border from Ukraine into Russia, and entered Rostov. He said his men would destroy anyone who stood in their way. FSB security service in Russia has lodged a criminal case against him and has called on the Wagner private military company forces to ignore his orders and arrest him.

In a statement, the FSB said: "Prigozhin’s statements and actions are in fact a call to start an armed civil conflict on the territory of the Russian Federation and a stab in the back to Russian servicemen fighting pro-fascist Ukrainian forces." The FSB urged Wagner fighters to “take measures to detain him”. The Kremlin said Putin had been informed of Prigozhin’s claims and “necessary measures are being taken”.

Poland president Andrzej Duda 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