The Lipetsk regional government announced the suspension of all public gatherings and events within the region, a decision shared via the government’s official telegraph channel. At the operation’s command center, authorities stated that all mass events in Lipetsk would be cancelled. No reason for the cancellation was provided in the official statement. Previously, notices had referred to the cancelation of mass events in Voronezh region and in Rostov-on-Don as well.
On June 23, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation released a declaration in which Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner PMC, stated that reports and video footage alleging an attack by the RF Ministry of Defense on Wagner rear camps were inaccurate and presented as informational provocation. The pronouncements appeared in social networks and were not corroborated by independent sources. This assertion followed heightened public discourse about the security situation and military activities within Russia’s armed forces.
Dmitry Peskov, the Press Secretary for the President of the Russian Federation, indicated that Vladimir Putin was aware of the developments concerning Prigozhin. In response to Prigozhin’s remarks, the National Counter-Terrorism Committee announced that a lawsuit had been filed for incitement to military rebellion, signaling a formal legal step in relation to the statements and behavior surrounding the incident. These events have raised questions about the stability of command structures and the potential impact on regional public safety and national security. [Source: Government of the Lipetsk region telegraph channel; Ministry of Defense statements; Presidential Press Service; National Counter-Terrorism Committee communications]