There are now widespread reports and circulating footage of additional armored vehicles deployed by military police units in key parts of Russia, including in Moscow and Rostov regions, with TASS saying they have been ordered to protect government buildings, as speculation that Wagner’s Prigozhin and the Wagner Group are making real moves against Russian leadership tonight.
News of the rebellion by Wagner started making the rounds of social media and news outlets overnight.
Armoured vehicles reported on streets of Moscow https://t.co/0zT2NxXx1l pic.twitter.com/UuwfNBqhsz
— Liveuamap (@Liveuamap) June 23, 2023
Russian media has confirmed–
“Security measures have been strengthened in Moscow, all the most important facilities, state authorities and transport infrastructure facilities have been taken under enhanced protection,” law enforcement agencies told TASS.
Locals in Moscow publish lots of clips of military equipment on the roads. pic.twitter.com/wTXIsvWsbz
— Mike (@Doranimated) June 23, 2023
There are claims circulating that the FSB is even calling on Wagner Group’s own fighters to arrest Prigozhin and bring him in to authorities.
An FSB statement has urged Wagner forces to no longer follow his orders.
#Breaking Russian General Surovikin issues an appeal to Wagner fighters:
“We are of the same blood, we are warriors, the enemy is waiting for the internal political situation in the country to worsen, you can’t play into the hands of the enemy” pic.twitter.com/XFevidiXvh
— Michael A. Horowitz (@michaelh992) June 23, 2023
Earlier in the day, hours before the remarks saying the country’s military leadership “must be stopped” – Prigozhin had in a surprising turn gone after the very decision to go to war in the first place.
“The Armed Forces of Ukraine were not going to attack Russia with the NATO bloc,” Prigozhin had said via his press service in words widely reported also in the West. “The Russian Defense Ministry is deceiving the public and the president.”
This latter part of Friday’s angry denunciations may prove to finally be Prigozhin’s downfall. There are now unverified reports that Moscow is taking extra measures to strengthen security and that the FSB is on high alert.
Yevgeny Prigozhin is denying it is a coup attempt targeting military leadership – so there may be a Wagner attempt underway to walk back the comments.
No, this is not likely to turn into a civil war. It is what in Russia is called ‘razborki’ (gangland warfare)
And it looks like one gang is about to get totally crushed because the other has all the weapons and the security services on their side https://t.co/ZiiiwNm7BK
— Dmitri Alperovitch (@DAlperovitch) June 23, 2023
Developing…..
Leave a Reply