Detachment units associated with the Wagner private military company prepared to disengage from the Rostov-on-Don headquarters of the Southern Military District. A video shared by a reporter for the portal 161.ru captured their movement toward waiting vehicles, though military transports had not yet cleared the main junction of Gorky Street and Budyonnovsky Prospekt.
The reporter observed small groups of Wagner personnel moving into automobiles, while a working tank remained near the circus gates. The street drew a noticeable crowd, with many onlookers gathering to witness the scene.
Earlier on June 24, Wagner forces entered Rostov-on-Don. In a nationally broadcast address, the Russian president described the events as an act of rebellion and a bid to fracture society. He warned that anyone who knowingly embraces treason would face punishment in full accordance with the law.
In a separate statement, Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Wagner, claimed that recent online posts and videos alleging an attack by the Russian Ministry of Defense on Wagner rear camps did not reflect reality and represented intentional misinformation. This denial was issued through a spokesperson for the group and was relayed to the public through various social channels as a provocation.
Subsequently, the National Counter-Terrorism Committee announced it would pursue legal action for incitement to military rebellion, signaling heightened concern about the spread of provocative messages amid the crisis. Attribution: 161.ru correspondent and subsequent official statements provide the chronology of events as they unfolded and the responses that followed.