The governor of Russia’s Lipetsk province says the Wagner mercenary group has entered the region. The Lipetsk region is about 360km (225 miles) south of Moscow and much closer to the capital than Rostov-on-Don, where Wagner forces appeared during the night. The latest on the armed rebellion declared by Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, as reported by the Associated Press:
Wagner entered Lipetsk region, Governor says
Newslooks- (AP)
Wagner mercenaries enter Lipetsk province, Russian governor says. The governor of Russia’s Lipetsk province says the Wagner mercenary group has entered the region. The Lipetsk region is about 360km (225 miles) south of Moscow and much closer to the capital than Rostov-on-Don, where Wagner forces appeared during the night.
Authorities “are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the population. The situation is under control,” the governor, Igor Artamonov, said on Telegram. He did not give details about the Wagner presence.
The governor of the Lipetsk region asked residents to stay at home and refrain from traveling. Governor Igor Artamonov said on Telegram that Wagner had entered the province but “the situation is under control.”
Authorities in the area, which is in Russia’s south-west, earlier urged residents to stay at home on Saturday after the Wagner group vowed to take up arms to topple the country’s military leadership.
Wagner forces are already in control of Rostov after an overnight rebellion. It appears they have now travelled about 500 miles north as they barrel towards Moscow.
Reuters journalists earlier saw troop carriers and a flatbed truck carrying a tank careening past the city of Voronezh more than halfway to Moscow, where a helicopter fired on them. But there were no reports of the rebels meeting any substantial resistance on the highway.
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The Russian Foreign Ministry has warned the West against trying to take advantage of the rebellion led by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The ministry said in a statement Saturday that “we are cautioning Western countries against even a hint of using the internal situation in Russia for achieving their Russophobic goals.”
It argued that the mutiny plays into the hands of Russia’s enemies and said that the Russian public stands behind President Vladimir Putin.
The ministry said that Moscow appreciates its allies and partners voicing their understanding of the situation.
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Security in a number of Russian regions was tightened as authorities sought to thwart an armed rebellion spearheaded by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
There was tighter security particularly in areas between the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, where Prigozhin’s Wagner group appeared to control military headquarters, and Moscow.
In the neighboring Tambov region, mass events were canceled Saturday.
Those events included high school graduation parties. Russia’s Education Ministry said such parties were being postponed until July 1 in Moscow, the region around the capital and “a number of other regions where additional anti-terrorist measures have been introduced.”
The governor of the Kaluga region, just south of the Moscow region, said that movement on roads in areas on its western, southern and eastern borders had been restricted. Vladislav Shapsha wrote on Telegram that people should “refrain from traveling by private vehicle on these roads unless absolutely necessary.”
In the capital, traffic on the Moscow River was suspended. Police officers in bulletproof vests and with machine guns were seen near the entrance of the major highway that links Moscow with Voronezh and Rostov–on-Don.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office says he told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday that Turkey was ready to help resolve the stand-off in Russia with the mercenary Wagner group.
The Turkish presidency tweeted that, in a phone call with Putin, Erdogan “underlined the importance of acting with common sense” and said Ankara could help resolve events as soon as possible. It did not specify how Turkey could help.
Turkey has retained close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv during the war
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Ukraine’s deputy defense minister says the “political crisis” in Russia provides Kyiv with a “window of opportunity.”
Hanna Maliar wrote on Telegram Saturday that Moscow’s “erroneous decision” to start a war in Ukraine had brought about “the inevitable degradation of the Russian state.”
The rebellion by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin comes as Kyiv’s forces have been probing Russian defenses in the initial stages of a counteroffensive.
Speaking in Kyiv, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that “a coup is taking place in Russia, led by Prigozhin and his Wagner troops. Any coup, any problem that emerges in enemy’s rear aligns with our interest.”
He added that “it is early to estimate consequences.”
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS:
Putin calls armed rebellion by mercenary chief a betrayal and vows to punish its leaders
Prigozhin, the mercenary chief urging an uprising, has long ties to Putin
Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
