In a dramatic escalation of his feud with the Russian defense ministry, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin announced on Saturday that his forces had entered Rostov-on-Don, a key Russian city housing military headquarters overseeing the war in Ukraine. Prigozhin's declaration, shared through a social media video, claimed control over military installations within the city, including the airfield. Supporting videos circulating online depicted military vehicles and tanks navigating the city streets. The exact circumstances of his entry into Rostov-on-Don, a city under heightened security due to Prigozhin's prior threats, and the number of troops accompanying him remain unclear.
This move follows Prigozhin's public calls for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia's defense minister. The Wagner Group, a private military contractor, has played a significant role in Russia's Ukrainian campaign, but Prigozhin has engaged in a protracted and increasingly public dispute with the defense ministry. He has accused military officials of deliberately withholding essential weaponry and ammunition from his troops. In a series of heated audio and video messages released on Friday, Prigozhin accused Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu of orchestrating a rocket attack on Wagner field camps within Ukraine. Prigozhin characterized his actions not as a military coup but as a "march of justice" intended to halt what he termed the "evil" actions of the military leadership. He directly targeted Shoigu with harsh language, vowing to see him "stopped."
In response to Prigozhin's actions, Russian authorities initiated a criminal investigation against him for inciting armed rebellion, according to the state news agency Tass. The National Anti-Terrorism Committee, operating under the Federal Security Services, is leading the investigation. Reports indicate that President Vladimir Putin has been briefed on the evolving situation. Moscow has responded with heightened security measures, deploying the National Guard and riot police to safeguard critical infrastructure and government buildings in the capital.
