Russian helicopters fire on ‘armed mutiny’
Key Posts
Russian helicopters battle Moscow-bound rebel mercenaries
UK says Russian state now facing greatest challenge of recent times
‘I demand you stop participating in criminal actions’: Putin
Russia declares anti-terrorist operation in Moscow and Moscow region
Russian defence ministry appeals to Wagner fighters to abandon Prigozhin
What we know so far
Here’s the latest on the crisis in Russia
The Kremlin has accused the leader of the Wagner mercenary group of attempting an “armed coup” against Russia.
In an extraordinary announcement on Friday night, Yevgeny Prigozhin called for an uprising against Russia’s military leaders.
The Wagner boss claimed his troops have marched into Russia’s Rostov region and promised that his soldiers would “destroy everything that gets in the way”.
A military column of Wagner private mercenary group drives along M-4 highway, which links the capital Moscow with Russia’s southern cities, near Voronezh.
Vladimir Putin told Russians he will “harshly” punish Prigozhin and called the mutiny a “stab in the back”.
Putin admitted that it was a “complicated situation” and that the rebels had taken control of military sites around the southern Russian city of Rostov.
The Russian army deployed forces at key sites in Moscow and Rostov and there were unconfirmed reports of dozens of Russian aircraft flying towards Rostov.
The Kremlin’s security service, the FSB, opened a criminal case against Prigozhin and declared him to be a “foreign agent”.
Britain’s ministry of defence said more Wagner troops were likely heading to the Russian capital.
Russian army helicopters are reported to have opened fire on a Wagner mercenary military convoy on the M4 highway outside the city of Voronezh on Saturday, according to a Reuters witness.
Ukrainian forces are reported to have stepped up their attacks along the frontline in northern Bakhmut to take advantage of the chaos.
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