Heavy clashes unfold as mercenary forces confront Russian authorities
The head of the Wagner private army, Yevgeny Prigozhin, announced a dramatic escalation in the ongoing tensions by declaring that his fighters had crossed the Russian border and moved into the Rostov region. In a message published on his Telegram channel, Prigozhin said that border guards had greeted the advance with restraint and that Wagner fighters were advancing into Rostov. He claimed that state border controls had opened up and that the group would press forward.
Prigozhin framed the confrontation as a response to actions by defense units that blocked Wagner’s route. He asserted that the Russian Defense Ministry, led by Sergei Shoigu, bore responsibility for harm to soldiers and civilians alike, accusing it of sending young conscripts into battle. He claimed that officers had deployed 18-year-old recruits who could be viewed as his own children, arguing that these young people would be those who would survive only to return to their mothers. Wagner would fight against professional troops, he said, and would not tolerate interference along the arc of their advance. The message stressed that Wagner would keep moving until the mission reached its end, re-framing the struggle as a march rather than a coup.
In response to calls from the Russian Federal Security Service for his arrest, Prigozhin spoke of fraternity, justice, honor and shame. He accused the security services of lacking these sentiments and suggested they could not grasp what he described as betrayal.
The Federal Security Service urged Wagner’s fighters to avoid a grave misstep and to ignore Prigozhin’s directives. Officials warned that his statements signaled an internal crisis and a possible armed conflict within Russia, encouraging Wagner to refrain from actions that could plunge the country into chaos.
Prigozhin accused the Defense Ministry of launching assaults on Wagner positions and pledged to hold those responsible to account. He rejected the notion that the events constituted a coup and stated that the group consisted of about 25,000 personnel. He stated that the aim was to end the prevailing disorder, describing the march as a fight for justice rather than a power grab. He added that military operations would not be disrupted by Wagner’s movements and that, after taking care of those who harmed Russian soldiers, Wagner fighters would return to the front lines.
Earlier in the day, Prigozhin claimed that Wagner forces had shot down a Russian army helicopter, alleging that the aircraft fired on a civilian convoy before being destroyed by Wagner. The claim was shared via a recorded audio message on his Telegram channel.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Peskov confirmed that President Vladimir Putin had been informed about the evolving situation and that appropriate measures had been put in place. According to the state news agency TASS, Russian authorities increased security at key locations in the capital as a precautionary step.
This sequence of statements and actions has heightened international attention on the internal tensions within Russia and the potential implications for security and stability across the region. Observers note that the events could influence ongoing power dynamics within the country while prompting regional responses and heightened vigilance from security services.
[cited sources: official statements from Wagner leadership, Russian Federal Security Service briefings, and TASS coverage]