SECURITY BEEFS UP IN MOSCOW AFTER WAGNER HEAD PRIGOZHIN CHARGED WITH ‘INCITING AN ARMED UPRISING’

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Sat 24 June 2023:

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group in Russia, made an outrageous threat to “stop” the country’s top military officials. He was charged with “inciting an armed uprising” and military vehicles were sent to the streets of Moscow and Rostov-on-Don as a result, The Moscow Times reported.

On Friday, Prigozhin accused the Russian military’s top brass of directing attacks on Wagner’s camps, which resulted in the deaths of a “huge” number of troops.

In a tirade against the Defense Ministry, with whom he has been feuding publicly for months over the handling of the war in Ukraine, Prigozhin said Wagner’s leadership had determined that “the evil that the military leadership of the country brings must be stopped.” 

Hours later, Russia’s Federal Security Agency (FSB) had filed criminal charges against Prigozhin for “inciting an armed uprising.”

The charges are punishable by 12 to 20 years in prison.

Prigozhin’s statements call for civil conflict, stab in back of Russian Armed Forces – FSB

“Prigozhin’s statements and actions effectively constitute calls for an armed civil conflict on Russian territory and a stab in the back of Russian servicemen fighting with pro-Nazi Ukrainian forces,” the press office said.

“We call on the PMC fighter not to commit irreparable mistakes, to stop any force actions against the Russian people, and not to comply with criminal and traitorous orders of Prigozhin, and to take measures on his apprehension. All information being disseminated on social media in Yevgeny Prigozhin’s name about the alleged Defense Ministry’s missile strikes on Wagner PMC units are false and are an informational provocation,” the press office said,” the FSB said in a statement carried by state agencies.

Putin has been briefed on situation with Prigozhin, measures are being taken – Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin is aware of the situation that is unfolding around Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the private military company Wagner, and the necessary measures are being taken, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday.

“President Putin has been briefed on all events around Prigozhin. The necessary measures are being taken,” he said.

“We go to the end!”

Shortly after 2:00 a.m. Prigozhin said Wagner’s forces had entered the Rostov region of southern Russia, where he claimed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was located.

“The Defense Ministry units which were thrown to block our path stood aside. … We will destroy everything that gets in our way. We move onward, we go to the end!”

 

Following widespread speculation that he had de facto announced an armed revolt against Russia’s military, Prigozhin added: “It is not a coup d’etat. It’s a march of justice. Our actions do not impede [regular Russian] soldiers at all.”

The Russian Defense Ministry denied Prigozhin’s claims that its forces fired on Wagner encampments, saying they “do not correspond to reality” and calling them a “provocation.”

It later claimed that Ukrainian forces, “taking advantage of Prigozhin’s provocation,” had launched offensive operations near the eastern city of Bakhmut.

Law enforcement authorities have stepped up security measures in Moscow, the state-run TASS news agency said around 1:00 a.m. local time. 

“All the most important facilities, state authorities and transport infrastructure facilities have been taken under enhanced protection,” TASS cited law enforcement agencies as saying.

Security beefs up in Moscow

Video and photos shared on social media on Friday night showed military vehicles on the streets of Rostov-on-Don as well as in central Moscow.

A Moscow Times reporter in central Moscow did not see a significant military or police presence near the Kremlin.

Elsewhere in the capital, columns of military vehicles were filmed near the Defense Ministry headquarters and the road leading to the presidential administration building was reportedly closed off.

There did not appear to be a notable police presence at the Wagner Group’s headquarters in St. Petersburg.

Independent news outlets reported that Russian state media outlets were barred from citing any of Prigozhin’s statements.

In a video posted to Telegram by Andrei Rudyenko, a state-affiliated war correspondent, Russian General Sergei Surovikin called on Wagner fighters to lay down their arms. 

“The enemy is just waiting for the political situation in our country to deteriorate. It’s wrong to play into the enemy’s hands during these difficult times,” he said, appearing haggard and holding a rifle on his right leg.

“We are of the same blood. We are warriors. I urge you to stop.”

 SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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