An unverified video has been released on Saturday by Wagner where chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is seen sitting with Russian deputy defence minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and first deputy chief of the main intelligence directorate of the general staff lieutenant general Vladimir Alekseev in the Rostov army headquarters. Prigozhin is reportedly angered at Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian chief of army staff Valery Gerasimov and wants them to come down to Rostov or else he will block all the routes to and from Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed reprisal in a speech to Russian citizens on Saturday morning. In an aggressive speech, he said Prigozhin has mounted a coup against the Russian army and Russia, stabbing the country in the back.
First sighting of Prigozhin, in a video posted by a Wagner channel. It says he's in the Rostov army HQ "negotiating" with deputy defense minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov."We want [Gerasimov] and Shoigu. Until they're here, we'll stay, block off Rostov, and head to Moscow," he says." pic.twitter.com/akox3BNdsL
— max seddon (@maxseddon) June 24, 2023
“What we are facing is betrayal. Unreasonable ambition has led to treason. I appeal to the Russians, to the military and security agencies and to those who have been pushed onto the path of armed insurgency by deceit and threats,” Putin said in his address to the nation.
There are reports that Wagner paramilitary members have taken over Rostov-on-Don and parts of Voronezh and Putin admitted the situation is difficult in Rostov.
The Russian defence ministry has asked Wagner paramilitary forces to not participate in the insurrection against the Russian government. The Russian defence ministry in a latest release said: “You were tricked into Prigozhin’s criminal gamble and participation in an armed insurgency. Many of your comrades from several detachments have already realised their mistake, asking for help in ensuring that they can return safely to their permanent bases.”
The Rostov headquarters of the Russian Army are part of the Southern Military District. The video shows Prigozhin and Yevkurov sitting down and having a discussion while surrounded by mostly Wagner soldiers.
Prigozin meets with Deputy Defence Russian Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and deputy chief of staff Alekseev. He criticises them for giving up Lyman, Kherson and other cities and chastises them for the loss of men. It’s not a friendly atmosphere but neither does it look like a coup. pic.twitter.com/a7XZZgT9qe— Denis Rogatyuk (@DenisRogatyuk) June 24, 2023
Journalist Denis Rogatyuk said in a separate tweet that Prigozhin was grilling Yevkurov for giving up Lyman, Kherson and other cities.
Prigozhin is also alleging that Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian chief of army staff Valery Gerasimov are not telling Putin how many casualties Wagner and Russian forces have suffered in Ukraine.
The mercenary group chief has been public with his criticism of Gerasimov and Shoigu since the onset of the battle of Bakhmut, claiming that his forces did not receive any support from the Russian army.
“We have already provided such assistance to all of these fighters and commanders. Please show discretion and get in touch with representatives of the Russian Ministry of Defence or law enforcement agencies as soon as possible,” the Russian defence ministry said at that time.
Prigozhin said his forces shot down a Russian military helicopter. “A helicopter has just now opened fire at a civilian column. It has been shot down by units of PMC Wagner,” the Wagner chief said, after accusing the Russian military of shooting at his men.
“Those who destroyed our lads, who destroyed the lives of many tens of thousands of Russian soldiers, will be punished. I ask that no one offer resistance,” Prigozhin said in a series of audio messages on his official Telegram channel, according to MSNBC.