Wagner head says group standing down after claims of deal

By Helen Regan, Andrew Raine, Sophie Tanno, Hafsa Khalil, Tori B. Powell, Adrienne Vogt and Kaanita Iyer, CNN

Updated 6:12 p.m. ET, June 24, 2023

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UK  Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, US President Joe Biden, French President  Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke earlier Saturday  to discuss the situation in Russia and reiterate their continuing  support for Ukrainian sovereignty, a spokesman for the UK prime minister  said in a statement.

Their  meeting followed a call between G7 foreign ministers, which the UK  foreign secretary participated in earlier Saturday, the spokesman said.

The  leaders spoke before Wagner private military company chief Yevgeny  Prigozhin announced he had ordered his mercenary fighters to halt their advance on Moscow and turn back. 

Mykhailo Podolyak,  an adviser to Ukraine’s Presidential Administration, said Wagner  private military company boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's escalation "almost  nullified" Russian President Vladimir Putin, and criticized Prigozhin  for turning his forces around from a march toward Moscow and reaching an apparent deal.

“Prigozhin's  phenomenal choice... You almost nullified Putin, took control of the  central authorities, reached Moscow and suddenly... you retreat,"  Podolyak said in a tweet posted in English. "Because one very specific  intermediary with a dubious reputation #Lukashenko promised security  guarantees from the person #Putin who ordered to destroy you in the  morning. And for the fear that the Putin elite has experienced in the  past 24 hours, this order will certainly be executed."  

He  added, “Although not without benefit: #Prigozhin humiliated Putin/the  state and showed that there is no longer a monopoly on violence."

Kremlin  spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Saturday he was unaware of the current  whereabouts of Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Asked during a press briefing about Prigozhin's whereabouts after he struck a deal to call off his march on Moscow and leave for Belarus, Peskov said, “No, I don’t know.”

Peskov  also said he “cannot answer the question” of what position Prigozhin  will take in Belarus and what he will be doing there.

A  new video posted on Telegram and geolocated and confirmed by CNN showed  Prigozhin leaving a Russian military headquarters in the southern  Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

US  Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday called Ukrainian Foreign  Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to  discuss the situation in Russia, according to statements from State  Department.

Blinken  reiterated that US will stay in close coordination with allies and  partners as situation develops, and that US support for Ukraine will not  change.

What we know: Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin on Friday accused  Russia’s military of attacking a Wagner camp and killing a “huge  amount” of his men. He vowed to retaliate with force, insinuating that  his forces would “destroy” any resistance, including roadblocks and  aircraft.

By Saturday, Prigozhin announced that he was turning his forces around  from a march toward Moscow shortly after the Belarusian government  claimed President Alexander Lukashenko had reached a deal with Prigozhin  to halt the advance. Prigozhin said the move was in accordance with an  unspecified plan and intended to avoid Russian bloodshed.

Wagner  private military company boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has left Russian  military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don in southwestern Russia, new video  shows.

The  video, posted to Telegram, and geolocated and authenticated by CNN,  shows Prigozhin sitting in the backseat of a vehicle. Crowds cheer and  the vehicle comes to a stop as an individual approaches it and shakes  Prigozhin’s hand. 

He is heard saying “All the best” to the people gathered before the vehicle drives off. 

Russian  state media outlet RIA Novosti quoted an unnamed eyewitness that said  Prigozhin left the headquarters “with the fighters.” 

It’s  the first time Prigozhin has been seen in public since he announced  that his troops would “turn back” from Moscow and return to “field  camps.” It is unclear where Prigozhin is currently en route to, but per  the apparent deal, he is expected to be sent to Belarus and not face any criminal charges.

The  video follows other clips posted to Telegram, also geolocated and  authenticated by CNN, that show Wagner forces withdrawing from their  positions at the military headquarters, crowds surrounding a Wagner  vehicle convoy and people cheering the forces after it was announced  they would turn back.

Before  the Wagner forces were seen leaving, video from Russian state media  outlet RIA Novosti showed a Russian military police vehicle arriving at  the military headquarters.

Former  Russian member of Parliament Sergey Markov described Wagner private  military company boss Yevgeny Prigozhin as "extremely aggressive" but  said he was never a threat to Putin.

“They  support Prigozhin fighting against Ukrainian army but not against  Vladimir Putin,” Markov told CNN's Christiane Amanpour late Saturday  local time, citing Putin's popularity now being at “about 80%."

Markov  said that it was "really good news" that Prigozhin had ordered Wagner  mercenary columns to turn back from an advance toward Moscow, adding  that "a lot of Moscow are happy about this.”  

Markov told  Amanpour that he had been expecting a deal like the one allegedly  negotiated by Belarusian President Lukashenko to happen, as both Russian  sides in the conflict were “in a deadlock.”

“That’s  why a lot of Russian militarists see Wagner fighters not as enemies but  as real heroes because they don’t want to take part in the military  clashes between them," Markov said.

1 hr 55 min ago

Kremlin says Wagner fighters will return to base and sign contracts with military

From CNN's Anna Chernova

In  a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov  provided details about what he described as an agreement struck with  Yevgeny Prigozhin, the boss of the Wagner private military company, to  halt a march of his forces toward Moscow.

"An  agreement was reached on the return of PMC Wagner to their locations.  Part of those who will wish to do so, will sign contracts with the  Ministry of Defense — this concerns those who did not take part in the  march, indeed, there were such formations which, from the very  beginning, changed their minds and returned. They even requested to be  escorted by the traffic police and other assistance in order to return  to their permanent locations," he said.

Wagner  fighters will not face legal action for taking part in the march,  Peskov added, saying that the Kremlin has "always respected their heroic  deeds" on the front lines in Ukraine.

Prighozhin  has provided scant details about his agreement to about-face. Peskov  said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was able to draw on a  personal relationship with Prigozhin to broker the deal. 

"The  fact is that Alexander Grigoryevich [Lukashenko] has known Prigozhin  personally for a long time, for about 20 years," Peskov said. "And it  was his personal proposal, which was agreed with Putin. We are grateful  to the President of Belarus for these efforts."

Earlier this month, Prigozhin had refused to sign contracts  with Russia’s Defense Ministry, rejecting an attempt to bring his force  in line. The defense ministry said that “volunteer units” and private  military groups would be required to sign a contract.

Criminal charges  against Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin will be dropped and he will be  sent to neighboring Belarus, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry  Peskov.

"You  will ask me what will happen to Prigozhin personally?" Peskov said in a  conference call with reporters Saturday. "The criminal case will be  dropped against him. He himself will go to Belarus."

Peskov's  office later added in a text message to journalists that Prigozhin has a  guarantee from Russian President Vladimir Putin to leave the country as  part of the deal brokered to halt the march of Wagner forces toward  Moscow.

“If  you ask what kind of guarantee there is that Prigozhin will be able to  leave for Belarus, this is the word of the President of Russia,"  Peskov's office said. "The counter-terrorist operation regime will be  lifted in the nearest future."

Earlier Saturday, the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced the introduction of a "counter-terrorist operation regime" in Moscow, as well as the Moscow region and Voronezh region. Moscow's mayor also declared Monday a "non-working day."

After previously refusing to surrender, Wagner private military company chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced his forces were turning around from a march toward Moscow.

The  announcement comes as the Belarusian government claimed President  Alexander Lukashenko had reached a deal with the Wagner boss to halt the  march of his forces on Moscow. Prigozhin said the move was in  accordance with an unspecified plan and intended to avoid Russian  bloodshed.

If you're just now reading in, here's what you should know:

How we got here: Prigozhin on Friday accused  Russia’s military of attacking a Wagner camp and killing a “huge  amount” of his men. He vowed to retaliate with force, insinuating that  his forces would “destroy” any resistance, including roadblocks and  aircraft.

By Saturday, Igor Artamonov, governor of the southwestern Russian region of Lipetsk, said Wagner equipment was moving across the region's territory. Russian military also carried out “combat measures” in the southern Russia city of Voronezh,  the region's governor said, in light of Prigozhin's claim Saturday to  have seized control of key military facilities in the Voronezh and  Rostov regions.

Precautions taken: Artamonov  said authorities in Lipetsk were "taking all necessary measures to  ensure the safety of the population" as he implied that roads had been  dug up by Wagner fighters. In Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed  that a "counter-terrorist regime" was declared in the city and also  declared Monday a "non-working day." Russian authorities earlier offered amnesty to Wagner mercenaries who agreed to lay down their arms, a lawmaker from the State Duma told Russian state media TASS on Saturday.

What others are saying: Former Russian President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev,  who currently serves as the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security  Council, accused Wagner of a "staged coup d'état," Russian state media  RIA Novosti reported on Saturday. Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and  allies reaffirmed their “unwavering support for Ukraine” in a call with  leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom Saturday about the  situation in Russia.

Since Prigozhin's announcement to stand down, Putin and Lukashenko had a phone call  to discuss "the results of negotiations" with Prigozhin, according to  the Belarusian presidential press service. Putin thanked Lukashenko, the  press service said.

Ukraine's reaction: In his nightly address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Putin is “very afraid,” saying that the Russian president is "probably hiding somewhere, not showing himself.”

What else is going on: Ukrainian forces launched simultaneous counteroffensives  in multiple directions, according to Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister  Hanna Maliar. She said that "there is progress in all directions"  without giving any further detail.

Earlier Saturday, Ukraine claimed it had taken back territory  in the east that was held by Russia since it annexed Crimea in  2014. Ukrainian forces claim to have taken the area prior to the  apparent Wagner insurrection but only announced it Saturday. CNN cannot  independently verify battlefield reports. 

Here's the latest map of control:

Wagner chief  Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio recording Saturday that he had  turned his private mercenary forces around from a march toward Moscow to  avoid bloodshed. 

“Now  is the moment when blood can be shed. Therefore, realizing all the  responsibility for the fact that Russian blood will be shed from one of  the sides, we turn our columns around and leave in the opposite  direction to the field camps according to the plan," Prigozhin said. 

The Belarusian government has claimed President Alexander Lukashenko reached a deal with the Wagner boss to halt the march.

Taking  advantage of the unfolding turmoil in Moscow on Saturday, Ukrainian  forces launched simultaneous counteroffensives in multiple directions,  according to Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar. 

"The eastern grouping of troops today launched an offensive in several directions at the same time," Maliar said in a Telegram post, naming several cities and towns, including Bakhmut and Yahidne, among the places where the offensive was launched.

Maliar said that "there is progress in all directions" without giving any further detail. 

She  said there is heavy fighting ongoing in the south of the country,  adding that Russian forces are "on the defensive, making great efforts  to stop our offensive actions."

Russian  President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander  Lukashenko had a phone call to discuss "the results of negotiations"  with Wagner private military company chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, according  to the Belarusian presidential press service.

"The  President of Belarus informed the President of Russia in detail about  the results of negotiations with the leadership of PMC [private military  company] Wagner," the press service said in a statement Saturday. "The  President of Russia supported and thanked the Belarusian colleague for  the work done."

Prigozhin  announced Saturday he was turning his forces around from a march toward  Moscow, saying only that the move was in accordance with an unspecified  plan and intended to avoid Russian bloodshed.

The Belarusian government claimed Lukashenko brokered a deal with Prigozhin, without providing specifics.

3 hr 36 min ago

Zelensky claims Putin is “very afraid” following Prigozhin's threats

From CNN's Mariya Knight

Ukrainian  President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday claimed Russian President  Vladimir Putin is “very afraid,” after Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin  said he was turning his fighters around from a march toward Moscow. 

“I  will say it in Russian: The man from the Kremlin is obviously very  afraid and probably hiding somewhere, not showing himself,” Zelensky  said.

Zelensky also said Putin's own actions were to blame for the situation facing him.

“He  knows what he is afraid of because he himself created this threat. All  evil, all losses, all hatred – he himself who spreads it,” Zelensky  said. 

Recent  developments in Russia, Zelensky said, show that “the bosses of Russia  do not control anything,” adding that “it is happening on Russian  territory, which is fully loaded with weapons.” 

“In  one day, they lost several of their million-plus cities and showed all  Russian bandits, mercenaries, oligarchs and anyone else how easy it is  to capture Russian cities and, probably, arsenals with weapons,”  Zelensky said. 

United  States intelligence officials believe Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin  had been planning a major challenge to Russia’s military leadership for  quite some time, three people familiar with the matter tell CNN — but it  was unclear what the ultimate aim would be.

Intelligence  officials briefed congressional leaders known as the Gang of Eight  earlier this week concerning Wagner movements and equipment buildups  near Russia, two of the people said.

US  and Western intelligence officials saw signs Prigozhin was making  preparations for such a move, including by massing weapons and  ammunition, one western intelligence official and another person  familiar with the intelligence said.

The  official said they believe Prigozhin’s claims of an ammunition shortage  for operations in Ukraine was deliberate deception, to help lay the  groundwork for a potential military challenge to Russian leaders. 

A  source familiar with the intelligence said “it all happened very  quickly,” and it was difficult to discern how serious Prigozhin was  about threatening the Russian military and where he would take his  troops.

As CNN has previously reported,  US officials were caught off guard by the speed with which the  situation unfolded Friday night and escalated into Saturday, causing  senior officials to cancel planned international trips and convene  emergency meetings across the government. 

Update: This post has been updated with the latest information from sources.

Wagner  boss Yevgeny Prigozhin published a new audio recording Saturday  claiming he was turning his forces around from a march toward Moscow. 

“We  turning our columns around and going back in the other direction toward  our field camps, in accordance with the plan,” he said in a message on  Telegram.

The  announcement comes as the Belarusian government claimed President  Alexander Lukashenko had reached a deal with Wagner boss to halt the  march of his forces on Moscow. 

"This  morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin briefed his Belarusian  counterpart on the situation in southern Russia with the private  military company Wagner," the statement said. "The heads of state agreed  on joint actions.
"As a follow-up to the agreements, the President  of Belarus, having being additionally informed on the situation through  his own channels, and in agreement with the President of Russia, held  talks with the head of Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin," the statement  continued. "Yevgeny Prigozhin accepted the proposal of the President of  Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to stop the movement of armed persons of  the Wagner company on the territory of Russia and take further steps to  de-escalate tensions."

CNN has reached to Prigozhin's office for comment.

President  Joe Biden and US allies on Saturday reaffirmed their “unwavering  support for Ukraine” in a call with leaders of France, Germany and the  United Kingdom about the unfolding situation in Russia between the  military and Wagner private military company.

French  President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK Prime  Minister Rishi Sunak have all remained closely aligned with Biden over  the course of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden has frequently spoken  and met with the trio over the last year.

Biden was briefed on the unfolding situation Saturday morning, the White House said, in addition to Friday night.

Former Russian President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev,  who currently serves as the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security  Council, accused Wagner of a "staged coup d'état," Russian state media  RIA Novosti reported on Saturday. 

“The  development of events shows that the actions of the people who  organized the military rebellion fully fit into the scheme of a staged  coup d'état,” RIA Novosti reported, quoting Medvedev. 
According to  Medvedev, “the current armed rebellion is a well-thought-out and planned  operation, the purpose of which is to seize power in the country.” 

RIA  Novosti said that according to Medvedev, the participation of  foreigners in the current military rebellion was "quite probable.” 

The state-owned outlet said that Medvedev also dismissed Prigozhin’s allegation that the Russian Defense Ministry had ordered strikes against his fighters at a Wagner camp on Friday.

“Failure  to fulfill certain obligations of the Ministry of Defense, 'strikes' on  the rear (of the Wagner camp), and corruption of officials are  nonsense,” Medvedev said.  

Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseev, Russian intelligence official, has also criticized  Prighozhin's actions as "a coup d'état." Prigozhin has claimed that his  forces crossed the border into Russia from Ukraine but denies that he  is carrying out a "military coup."

"This  is not a military coup, this is a march of justice. Our actions do not  interfere with the troops in any way," Prigozhin said in an audio  recording posted to Telegram Friday.  

The  Russian investigative outlet Fontanka on Saturday reported that a van  stacked with boxes with cash was found parked near what is alleged to be  an office of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin at the Hotel Trezzini in St. Petersburg. 

According  to Fontanka, the amount of cash uncovered in an apparent search by  authorities totaled 4 billion rubles, or approximately $47 million.

Fontanka posted a photo on its Telegram channel of boxes on the ground next to a van watched over by a police officer. 

It  is unclear who ordered the search, but Prigozhin confirmed media  reports in an audio message on one of his Telegram channels, saying that  money he kept in a van and two buses was allocated for salaries, as  well as for the payment of so-called “Cargo 200” compensation for the  families of slain fighters. 

"For 10 years, PMC Wagner has always operated in cash," he said. 

US  President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed this  morning on the latest developments in Russia and were joined by a number  of national security officials, according to the White House.

"Participants  included National Security Advisor Sullivan, Secretary Blinken,  Secretary Austin, Chairman Milley, Director Haines, Director Burns, and  Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. The President and Vice President will  continue to be briefed throughout the day," according to a White House  statement.

US  Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also continues to be briefed,  Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement on  Saturday.

“Secretary  Austin and the Department continue to monitor the ongoing situation in  Russia. Secretary Austin will continue to be briefed on any significant  developments,” Ryder said.

Russian authorities have offered amnesty to Wagner mercenaries who agree to discard their arms, a lawmaker from the State Duma told Russian state media TASS on Saturday.

"Of  course, there is a chance to lay down arms and avoid punishment, and  the President also talked about this," the head of the State Duma  Committee on State Construction, Pavel Krasheninnikov, told TASS. 

"We  know that there are many people among them who have proven themselves  in the special military operation, and there is respect for them," he  said, referring to Russia's term for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.  "In order not to waste it, you need to do it as soon as possible and  not succumb to provocations from the leadership of the rebels."  

Krasheninnikov  added that Putin "spoke in a comprehensive manner," and said that it's  key that this information gets through to them.

Moscow  Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that a "counter-terrorist regime" has  been declared in the city, according to a statement. 

"The  situation is difficult. In order to minimize risks, I, within the  framework of the operational headquarters, decided to declare Monday a  non-working day - with the exception of authorities and enterprises of a  continuous cycle, the military-industrial complex, and city services,"  Sobyanin said on Telegram.  "I ask you to refrain from traveling around the city as much as  possible. It is possible that traffic will be blocked in certain areas  and on certain roads."

According to Sobyanin, Moscow city services are on high alert.

Russian  state media RIA Novosti reported Saturday that security measures are  being strengthened at a number of places on the Moscow Ring Road. A  checkpoint with a grenade launcher and an armored personnel carrier was  installed at the exit from the Moscow Ring Road in the Yasenevo area and  vehicles are being checked, according to RIA.

Earlier Saturday, the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced the introduction of a "counter-terrorist operation regime" in Moscow, as well as the Moscow region and Voronezh region.

The counter-terrorist regime includes, but is not limited to:

• document checks

• strengthened protection of public order

• monitoring telephone conversations

• restricting communications

• restricting the movement of vehicles and pedestrians on the streets.

The latest Wagner movements:  Equipment of the Wagner private military company is moving across  territory in the southern Russian region of Lipetsk, according to the  region's governor, Igor Artamonov.

Lipetsk is the main city in the region of the same name, and it is about 470 kilometers (292 miles) south of Moscow.

Ukraine claims it has taken back territory in the east that was held by Russia since it annexed Crimea in 2014. 

According  to military officials in Tavria in southeastern Ukraine, Ukrainian  forces have captured "territories near Krasnohorivka in Donetsk" and are  continuing to advance, state media Ukrinform reports. 

Another  Ukrainian official claimed that Russian forces had been pushed out of  the area about a week ago, but the information was not made public for  "tactical reasons." 

Ukrainian forces claim to have taken the area prior to the apparent Wagner insurrection but only announced it Saturday.

CNN cannot independently verify battlefield reports. 

In the years leading up to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a St. Petersburg-based businessman named Yevgeny Prigozhin emerged as a canny political entrepreneur.

Prigozhin and his companies served the interests of the Russian state, advancing Putin’s foreign policy in ways that were both useful and off the books.

Prigozhin’s  relatively discreet public profile was his greatest asset. He  bankrolled the notorious troll farm that the US government sanctioned  for interference in the 2016 US presidential election; created a  substantial mercenary force that played a key role in conflicts from  Ukraine’s Donbas region to the Syrian civil war; and helped Moscow make a  play for influence on the African continent.

All  of Prigozhin’s activities gave the Kremlin a fig leaf of deniability.  After all, mercenary activity was technically barred by Russian law, and  Putin could always maintain that interference in US elections was  merely the work of “patriotic” hackers.

And  it also served Putin’s interest to outsource some of the dirty work of  sponsoring armed insurrection in eastern Ukraine or holding territory  in Syria. Wagner’s existence was not publicly acknowledged, and some of Prigozhin’s operations appeared  to be partly self-funded, with various shell companies staking claims  to oil and gas facilities and vying for access to gold and other riches.

But  all of that changed with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. By giving  Prigozhin free rein to raise a private army, Putin both unleashed the  political ambitions of the businessman and surrendered the state’s  monopoly on the use of force.

Read the full analysis here.

6 hr 20 min ago

Wagner chief refuses to surrender after Putin says his actions betray Russia. Here's the latest

Russian President Vladimir Putin faces increased rebellion by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin after the mercenary leader rejected surrender, calling the president "deeply mistaken" for saying his actions betray Russia.

In  southwestern Russian regions, officials have cautioned residents to  stay in their homes amid reports of Wagner equipment moving through the  territories.

Here's the latest:

• In the southwestern Lipetsk region: The region's governor, Igor Artamonov, has warned residents  not to leave their homes "without an urgent need and refrain from any  travel by personal or public transport," as they work to ensure safety  in the city. Artamonov also said that equipment is being moved by the Wagner group across the territory. In Kursk,  which borders Ukraine, Gov. Roman Starovoyt has plead with Prigozhin to  "abandon his plans" to prevent an internal conflict in the country.

• Movement in Voronezh: Following claims of Wagner control over military facilities in the city, Gov. Alexander Gusev has disputed rumors that military equipment  is moving through the region, urging people to follow information from  official sources, and asking the media to be "responsible" in posting  information. Also on Saturday, a burning fuel tank at an oil refinery  close to the city was extinguished. While the cause was not confirmed  by Gusev, videos on social media have shown an explosion and fireball as  a military helicopter flies towards it. Additionally, a munition  that landed in the city during what appears to have been a clash  between Wagner units and Russian forces damaged a number of cars,  according to state media.

• Welcomed by Ukraine:  Some Ukrainian officials see the rebellion as a "sign of the collapse  of the Putin regime." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted  on Saturday that Russia previously hid their weakness behind  propaganda, but now the Wagner-inflicted chaos means they cannot hide  it. "Everyone who chooses the path of evil destroys himself," he said.

• Moscow sees support:  Russian-backed leaders in four Ukrainian regions Russia claims to have  annexed — the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s  Republic, the Zaporizhzhia region and Kherson — have expressed their support to Putin. In Russia, head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill,  in support of Putin, called for unity, asking Wagner fighters "to think  again." In a call with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Kremlin said the  Turkish president pledged his "full support" to Putin.

• Global leaders on watch: NATO, the European Union and world leaders including from France, Kazakhstan and Germany, have commented on closely watching the situation  unfold. EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila  Massrali told CNN: "What we are witnessing is an internal Russian  issue." UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said they were keeping an eye on the events, and urged both Putin and Prigozhin to "be responsible and to protect civilians."

• Meanwhile, Putin signed a law that allows the military conscription of citizens with a criminal record.

• Missile attack in Ukraine:  Ukraine’s air defense forces intercepted 41 Russian cruise missiles and  two Shahed attack drones Saturday fired from the north, south and east,  according to the Ukrainian Air Force Command, state media Ukrinform  reports. In Kyiv, at least three residents were killed and more than a  dozen injured in missile debris which fell on a 24-story apartment block  in the Solomyanskyi district of the city, the Ukrainian Minister of  Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko said on Telegram.

Ukraine’s  military will benefit from Yevgeny Prigozhin’s decision to turn his  Wagner mercenaries on enemies inside Russia, a spokesperson for the  Ukrainian military in eastern Ukraine told CNN on Saturday.

“The  fact that Prigozhin took all his Wagner fighters into Russia now will  definitely have an effect on our frontline,” Serhii Cherevatyi,  spokesman for the eastern grouping of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, told  CNN by phone.
“They were the most effective fighters. Unlike them,  the Russian regular army – which was defeated near Kyiv, Kherson,  Kharkiv, Lyman and replaced by the freshly mobilized – are not as  aggressive in their assault operations,” he added.

Cherevatyi  said the withdrawal of Wagner forces from the long-fought eastern city  of Bakhmut in May was “very demoralizing” for Russian forces.

“Paratroopers  and infantry coming to take its place knew what to expect – they are  going to the place of defeat, they have less armament than Wagnerites –  and that battle-hardened, motivated to kill them, skilled Ukrainian  units are waiting for them," he said.

He also said that his forces planned to exploit Prigozhin’s outsized presence in the media.

“All  his messages where he talks disrespectfully of (Russian Defense  Minister Sergei) Shoigu and (head of the Joint Group of Forces Valery)  Gerasimov, some regular Russian army units, praises the Ukrainian  leadership, voices close to real losses in battles for Bakhmut – these  messages are all demoralizing,” Cherevatyi said.

The  Russian Foreign Ministry warned Western countries against using Wagner  chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's rebellion to achieve what it called  "Russophobic goals."

"Such  attempts are futile and will not find a response either in Russia or  among sensible political forces abroad,” the Foreign Ministry said in a  statement.

It  said the apparent insurrection "prompts sharp rejection in the Russian  society" and claimed that it "plays into the hands of Russia's external  enemies."

"The  adventuristic aspirations of the conspirators, in fact, are aimed at  destabilizing the situation in Russia, destroying our unity, and  undermining the efforts of the Russian Federation aimed at ensuring  reliable international security,” the statement read.
“We are  convinced that in the near future the situation will find a solution  worthy of the age-old wisdom of the Russian people and the Russian  State,” it continued.

Turkish  President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone conversation with Russian  President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, according to the Turkish  President’s office. 

During the meeting, the latest developments in Russia were discussed, Erdogan’s office said. 

Erdoğan  underscored the importance of acting with common sense and said Turkey  is ready to do its part to resolve the situation in a peaceful and calm  way, as soon as possible.

The Kremlin also confirmed the call, saying that Erdoğan pledged his “full support” with Putin.

“At  the initiative of the Turkish side, Vladimir Putin held a telephone  conversation with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan,” the Kremlin said in a readout.

“The  President of Russia informed about the situation in the country in  connection with an attempted armed rebellion. The President of the  Republic of Turkey expressed full support for the steps taken by the  Russian leadership.”

A  munition that landed in the southwestern Russian city of Voronezh  during what appears to have been a clash between Wagner units and  Russian forces damaged a number of cars, according to state media.

The  munition landed in a parking lot in a residential complex on the  outskirts of Voronezh. It’s not clear whether it came from a Russian  helicopter or Wagner fighters on the ground.

"I  was sitting on the balcony, drinking coffee, I was looking — people  were pointing at the sky, there was a helicopter. Then — bang, I looked  out into the yard, everything was in white smoke," a resident said,  according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. “I saw smoke from  the the oil refinery, then I went to look at the car."

The resident's car was damaged. Other residents said the glass in their apartments was shattered.

Earlier,  RIA Novosti reported that a Russian military Mi-8 helicopter made a  hard landing in the Voronezh region, and one person was injured.

RIA  cited emergency services. It did not disclose whether the helicopter  was one of those apparently involved in operations against Wagner forces  on the outskirts of the city of Voronezh. 

Social media videos show at least one helicopter firing at ground targets on the outskirts of the city. 

CNN’s Uliana Pavlova contributed reporting to this post.

United States and Western officials are being careful not to weigh in  on the events unfolding in Russia because of how Russian President  Vladimir Putin could weaponize any perceived involvement by the West in  the escalating crisis, sources familiar with US President Joe Biden  administration’s thinking told CNN.

Officials  across the administration convened emergency meetings on Friday night  to assess the events, which unfolded so quickly that they caught US and  European officials off guard, the sources said. 

While tensions have been steadily rising  over the last few months between Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and  Russia’s Ministry of Defense, US and European intelligence officials did  not predict that Prigozhin would move to storm the Rostov region with  his forces, sources familiar with the intelligence told CNN. 

“It’s  so hard to tell how much was talk and how much was real,” said one of  the sources. “The tension had been building for so long without anything  actually happening.”

A  European intelligence official told CNN that the “temperature had  obviously been building,” but few could have predicted what Prigozhin  was planning.

The  official said the West will be watching how this plays out over the  next 24 to 48 hours, after which supply shortages will likely start  kicking in for Wagner forces.

It is not clear to US or European officials how far in advance Prigozhin was planning the attack.

One  source familiar with Western intelligence said it appeared that it must  have taken at least several days to organize; another source, however,  noted that Rostov is very close to the front lines in Ukraine, so it may  not have required much forethought.

Russian  security forces were seen taking positions in southern Moscow,  according to photos published by Russian business newspaper Vedomosti.

The  images published by the paper showed Russian security forces in body  armor and equipped with automatic weapons taking up a position near a  highway linking Moscow with southern Russia.

Photographs posted on the Vedomosti Telegram channel  show armed and uniformed men on Lipetskaya Street, near the entrance to  the M4 highway linking the capital with the cities of Voronezh and  Rostov-on-Don.

The photographs also show a helicopter in the sky over the area and a police truck.

Wagner  boss Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed his private military group fighters have  taken control of a Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken  discussed the “ongoing situation in Russia” on a call with his G7 and  European Union counterparts, according to a brief statement released  Saturday.

The  foreign ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the  United Kingdom, plus the EU’s top diplomat, participated in the call.

A  State Department spokesperson said that Blinken “reiterated that  support by the United States for Ukraine will not change” and that the  US “will stay in close coordination with Allies and partners as the  situation continues to develop.”

Belarus  will remain an ally of Russia, the country's Security Council said in a  statement published by its foreign ministry on Saturday.

“Belarus  has been and remains an ally of Russia, fully sharing the goals and  objectives of the special military operation. This is a difficult,  forced and justified mission to protect the Russian people in the  Donbas. In fact, this is an ongoing fight for the future of the Slavic  world," the statement read.

According  to the statement, the Security Council of Belarus considers any  provocation, internal conflict in the military and political circles of  Russia, as "a gift to the collective West."

Belarusian opposition:  But while the country's leadership continues to show support for its  Russian neighbors as it has since the war started in February last year,  the Belarusian opposition has called on the country's military to  assert its independence.

Valery  Sakhashchyk, a member of the joint transitional cabinet of opposition  leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, called on the Belarusian military to  unite in order to "save the country."

“I  want to address the Belarusian military. We have no one to rely on, but  we, united, will definitely cope with this," he said in a video address  from Ukraine.

"We  will have time to ask each other questions and complain. Let's not do  it now. Let's unite the nation, save the motherland, everything else,  later," Sakhashchyk said, urging the Belarusian military to tune in to  the radio frequencies of Ukrainian troops. 

Sakhashchyk  claimed that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has led the  country to a "dead end" and said "now Belarusians must decide what to do  next."

“Either  we use this historic chance and become a prosperous European country,  or we will lose everything, and the very name of the Republic of Belarus  will remain only in books,” Sakhashchyk said.

The  governor of the Russian region of Kursk, which borders Ukraine, has  urged Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to abandon his plans.

“The  Kursk region closely cooperated with the PMC 'Wagner' in the training  of fighters of voluntary people's squads of our region, and I myself  took this training,” Roman Starovoyt said in a Telegram post.

Wagner  should not be forgotten, he said, because “together we rejoiced at the  success of the guys when we liberated Soledar and Artemovsk (Russian  name for Bakhmut), and mourned together with the families of the fallen  soldiers.”

“The  ambitions of the leader should not cross out the past merits of  ordinary fighters," Starovoyt added, directly urging Prigozhin "to  abandon his plans, lay down his arms and prevent the development of an  internal conflict in the country.”

Civilians  in the city of Lipetsk, which is north of Voronezh, have been urged to  remain at home by their governor, amid unconfirmed reports that Wagner  vehicles have been spotted in the region.

“At the moment all authorities and law enforcement agencies are working in a reinforced regime,” Gov. Igor Artamonov said on Telegram.

“To  ensure law and order and the safety of the citizens of the Lipetsk  region, the operational headquarters of the region asks residents not to  leave their homes without an urgent need and refrain from any travel by  personal or public transport,” Artamonov said.

“The situation is under control, but requires the understanding of every resident of the region,” the post added.

9 hr 45 min ago

Head of Russian Foreign Intelligence Service denounces "attempted armed rebellion"

From CNN’s Anna Chernova

Sergei  Naryshkin, the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR),  condemned what he described as an “attempted armed rebellion” in Russia.

Naryshkin said the rebellion is a crime “that cannot be justified by any prior achievements.” 

“At  the moment, it is clear that the attempt to rock society, awaken the  darkest aspirations in it, kindle the fire of a fratricidal civil war,  has failed,” Naryshkin said in a statement on Telegram. “The Russians  have demonstrated civic maturity, the ability to distinguish truth from  lies.”

Naryshkin,  who is also chairman of the Russian Historical Society, said the  society "calls on fellow citizens to unite around the President of the  Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin - the guarantor of the  Constitution, rights and freedoms - and to support our Army, which, no  matter what, holds back the onslaught of the enemy.”

Wagner  chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed Saturday that Wagner private military  contractors entered the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and took control  of the Southern Military Headquarters without opening fire.

“Without  firing a shot, we captured the headquarters building. We have not  interfered with the work of a single person,” Prigozhin said in Telegram  post. 
“Why does the country support us? Because we went with a  march of justice. We were attacked from the beginning by artillery and  then by helicopters, and we passed without a single shot. We did not  touch a single conscript. We didn't kill a single person along the way,”  Prigozhin added. 

However,  Russian state media reports that several gunshots and an explosion were  heard outside the headquarters of the Southern Military District.

Vladimir  Rogov, a senior Russian-appointed official in occupied Ukraine, said on  Telegram: “The sounds of explosions and shooting at the headquarters of  the Southern Military District, most likely, were either a firecracker  or an explosive package, they (Wagner) blew it up to scare civilians  away from the cordon zone.”

Rogov  said Wagner detachments had demanded civilians move 2 kilometers (about  1.2 miles) away from the cordoned-off headquarters.

Rogov  also said that in Rostov, the first detachments of Chechen special  forces had been seen, “which were transferred to suppress the  rebellion.”

There is no independent confirmation that Chechen units have arrived in Rostov.

Here's where the city is located:

Social  media video published early Saturday shows a meeting between Wagner  chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and two senior Russian military commanders.

The  two-minute video shows Prigozhin with the two officers in a courtyard,  possibly in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, surrounded by bodyguards.  A Telegram channel that has been a reliable source of information about  Wagner operations claims the discussion took place at the headquarters  of Russia's Southern Military District. The exact time of the meeting is  unknown, but it is in daylight.

One  of the Russian officers is a deputy chief of the Russian General Staff,  Lt. Gen Vladimir Alekseev. The other is a Deputy Minister of Defense  Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, the former head of the republic of Ingushetia. 

At one point, Prigozhin says to the men, “We will shoot down all of them if you send them.” The context is unclear. 

He appears to address Yevkuorov when he says, “You had no conscience,” accusing the military of opening fire on civilians.

Russian  President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that the situation in Rostov  is "difficult" and that military and civilian buildings have been  blockaded. It is unclear if there have been exchanges of fire there. 

Prigozhin also warns that Wagner's apparent mutiny may go further.

“We  came here," he said. "We want to receive the chief of general staff  [Vitaly Gerasimov] and [Defense Minister Sergei] Shoigu. “Until they are  here we will be located here, blockading the city of Rostov. And we’ll  go to Moscow.”
The Wagner boss also says, “Guys are dying because  you’re pushing them there. Without ammunition, without thought. Without  any plans. Just elderly clowns.”

Little  is heard from either Alekseev or Yevkuov in the meeting, and the  broader context of what was discussed is not known. The defense ministry  in Moscow has not commented on it or any other contacts with  Prigozhin.  

On Friday night, Alekseev published a video in which he criticized Wagner's actions, calling it "a coup d'etat." 

“What  is happening now is a blatant fact of insanity. I cannot explain it in  other words. Our country is in the most difficult position right now.  When the whole Western world is turned against us. When the shells are  coming from the whole world. Such things, that you started to fulfil now  under someone's provocation idea will lead to enormous losses. First of  all, enormous political losses. Imagine the enthusiasm that this will  be taken with by the West," Alekseev said in the video. 

Chaos in the Kremlin couldn't come at a better time for Ukraine.

What Russian President Vladimir Putin  described as an "armed rebellion" by Wagner mercenaries is a godsend  for a country that has been preparing for months to launch a  counteroffensive aimed at dealing a body-blow to the Russian military.

A  video clip widely circulating on social media in Ukraine shows  then-actor-now-President Volodymyr Zelensky sitting down in a  comfortable chair, popping open a beer and picking up a bowl of popcorn,  smiling in anticipation at what, we assume, is a television set.

Late  Friday evening as the drama was unfolding in Russia, the Ukrainian  Defense Ministry sent out a simple tweet. "We are watching."

Suddenly,  after 16 months of full-scale war, there is something else for  Ukrainians to watch -- the Russian invaders fighting among themselves.

The word of the day in Ukraine is "schadenfreude" -- pleasure felt at another's misfortune.

Earlier  this month Ukraine announced the start of its much-anticipated  counteroffensive. Until now the results have been modest—the liberation  of eight small villages, 113 square kilometres or 44 square miles of  territory, according to the Defense Ministry.

The  CNN crew in southern Ukraine was up near the front lines Friday. What  we saw was an extensive concentration of troops and weapons (many of  them the latest Western weapons systems) and other equipment poised to  advance.

Before  the offensive has even entered its main phase, however, it is already  bearing fruit, according to Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President  Zelensky.

"The  launch of the Ukrainian counteroffensive has finally destabilized the  Russian elites, exacerbating the internal split that emerged after the  defeat in Ukraine," he commented in a statement to the media.

Midday  in Kyiv, President Zelensky tweeted "the longer Russia keeps its troops  and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will  have for itself later."

Those problems, it seems, are mounting by the hour.

Russia  can no longer hide the "stupidity of its government" as its "weakness"  has been exposed amid an insurrection started by Wagner's  chief, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday. 

On Twitter, Zelensky said Moscow's actions in Ukraine have led it to the chaos it is now engulfed in. 

"Everyone  who chooses the path of evil destroys himself. Who sends columns of  troops to destroy the lives of another country and cannot stop them from  fleeing and betraying when life resists. Who terrorizes with missiles,  and when they are shot down, humiliates himself to receive Shahed  drones. Who despises people and throws hundreds of thousands into the  war, in order to eventually barricade himself in the Moscow region from  those whom he himself armed," he tweeted.  

In  the past, Russia hid its weakness behind propaganda, but now that there  is such chaos, no lie can hide their "full-scale weakness," he added.

Zelensky  also said the longer Russian troops and mercenaries stayed on Ukrainian  soil, the more "chaos, pain, and problems" Russia would have.

"It is also obvious. Ukraine is able to protect Europe from the spread of Russian evil and chaos," he tweeted.

Ukrainian  Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also called on the international  community to give the country weapons to end the war with Russia and  President Vladimir Putin's regime in light of the situation with Wagner.

"Time  to abandon false neutrality and fear of escalation; give Ukraine all  the needed weapons; forget about friendship or business with Russia.  Time to put an end to the evil everyone despised but was too afraid to  tear down," he tweeted.  

"Those who said Russia was too strong to lose; look now," he added.

Some  Ukrainian officials believe that if the actions of Wagner chief Yevgeny  Prigozhin against the Kremlin amount to an internal Russian conflict,  then it is a "sign of the collapse of the Putin regime."

"The  internal Russian confrontation between the leader of the so-called  Wagner PMC Prigozhin and the military and political leadership of the  aggressor state is a sign of the collapse of the Putin  regime," according to Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for the Defense  Intelligence of Ukraine.

"First  of all, we must understand that this is an internal Russian conflict  and confrontation which are a direct consequence of the Putin regime's  criminal military aggression against Ukraine," the representative of the  Ukrainian military intelligence said.

Yusov added that Ukraine continues to monitor developments in Russia.

Some context: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin  claimed Saturday to have seized control of key military facilities in  Rostov and Voronezh, pledging to move on to Moscow if Russia's Defense  Minister Sergei Shoigu and top general Valery Gerasimov, did not meet  with him.

Earlier,  the official Russian news agency TASS reported that traffic had been  blocked on the M-4 highway past Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay.

“All  cars moving from Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay are being redirected back  in the city, and police checkpoints have been reinforced,” TASS  reported.

The  Moscow-installed leaders in four Ukrainian regions that Russia claimed  to have  annexed reiterated their support for Russian President Vladimir  Putin Saturday as he faces opposition from Wagner chief Yevgeny  Prigozhin.

“The  only true solution to achieve our victory is to consolidate around the  Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the president of the Russian Federation,  Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin,” Denis Pushilin, the head of the so-called  Donetsk People’s Republic, said in a statement on Telegram.

The  heads of the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, as well as the  Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, expressed similar support for Putin.

Pushilin  said this “difficult stage for Russia” was “particularly painful” for  him, given Wagner’s role in capturing “Artemivsk,” the Soviet-era name  for Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine.

“Wagner's  guys sometimes did the impossible,” Pushilin said. But, he said,  “confrontations of any kind, both before and now, will never be able to  lead to the achievement of our goals.”

The  Russian-backed leaders in occupied the Luhansk, Kherson, and  Zaporizhzhia regions reassured their followers on Telegram that the  situation in their regions remains “stable.”

This just does not happen in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Especially in public.

The Russian president is  facing the most serious threat to his hold on power in all the 23 years  he’s run the nuclear state. And it is staggering to behold the veneer  of total control he has maintained all that time – the ultimate selling  point of his autocracy – crumble overnight.

It  was both inevitable and impossible. Inevitable, as the mismanagement of  the war had meant only a system as homogenously closed and immune to  criticism as the Kremlin could survive such a heinous misadventure. And  impossible as Putin’s critics simply vanish, or fall out of windows, or  are poisoned savagely. Yet now the fifth largest army in the world is  facing a weekend in which fratricide – the turning of their guns upon  their fellow soldiers – is the only thing that can save the Moscow elite  from collapse.

So  accustomed are we to viewing Putin as a master tactician, that the  opening salvos of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s disobedience were at  times assessed as a feint – a bid by Putin to keep his generals on edge  with a loyal henchman as their outspoken critic. But what we are seeing  today – with Putin forced to admit that Rostov-on-Don, his main military  hub, is out of his control – puts paid to any idea that this was  managed by the Kremlin.

Read the full story here.

UK  Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged the Kremlin and Wagner chief  Yevgeny Prigozhin  "to be responsible and to protect civilians."

Sunak  told the BBC on Saturday that the UK is " keeping a close eye on the  situation as it’s evolving on the ground as we speak."

“We’re in touch with our allies and, in fact, I’ll be speaking to some of them later today," he said.

“But  the most important thing I’d say is for all parties to be responsible  and to protect civilians, and that’s about as much as I can say at this  moment," he added.

Sunak declined to say whether it is good or bad news that Putin is being challenged.

Earlier  on Saturday, the UK Ministry of Defence said that the latest  developments represent "the most significant challenge to the Russian  state in recent times."

"Following  events overnight involving the Wagner group and the Russian military,  we are monitoring the situation carefully and liaising closely with our  allies," Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted.

A  burning fuel tank at an oil refinery close to the Russian city Voronezh  is being extinguished, Governor Alexander Gusev said Saturday.

“In  Voronezh, a burning fuel tank is being extinguished at an oil depot on  the Dimitrov street. More than 100 firefighters and 30 vehicles are on  site. According to the first data, there are no victims,” Gusev said in a  statement.

He  provided no explanation for the cause of the fire, but several social  media videos show at least one military helicopter in the vicinity. As a  helicopter flies towards the refinery, there is an explosion and  fireball, and thick black smoke rises from the location. 

Fighters of the Wagner private military company had been in the area, according to other geolocated video.

Geolocated footage shows at least two military helicopters in the vicinity, on the outskirts of the city. 

Russian  state media outlets have published video of roadblocks around the city  of Voronezh, which appears to have been a goal of Wagner units moving  northwards from Rostov-on-Don.

Yevgeny Prigozhin is the founder and bombastic chief of Russia's private military group Wagner.

Typically  a figure who has operated in the shadows, Prigozhin and his army were  thrust into the spotlight following the outbreak of Russia's war in  Ukraine, with his troops playing a key role in the fighting.

He  shared Russian President Vladimir Putin's relatively humble beginnings,  growing up in the tougher neighborhood of Saint Petersburg.

Prigozhin  has known Putin since the 1990s. He became a wealthy oligarch by  winning lucrative catering contracts with the Kremlin, earning him the moniker “Putin’s chef.”

His  transformation into a brutal warlord came in the aftermath of the 2014  Russian-backed separatist movements in the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

Prigozhin  founded Wagner to be a shadowy mercenary outfit that fought both in  eastern Ukraine and, increasingly, for Russian-backed causes around the  world.

CNN  has tracked Wagner mercenaries in the Central African Republic, Sudan,  Libya, Mozambique, Ukraine and Syria. Over the years they have developed  a particularly gruesome reputation and have been linked to various  human rights abuses.

It  took the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine for Prigozhin and his forces  to take center stage. Wagner particularly took the charge in eastern  Ukraine and Wagner forces were heavily involved in taking Soledar, a few  miles northeast of Bakhmut, and areas around the town.

In recent months, Prigozhin has created a dilemma for Putin by becoming an outspoken critic of Russia's military leaders.

In  May, he announced that his troops would withdraw from the embattled  eastern city of Bakhmut -- after complained for well over a month of  receiving insufficient support from the Kremlin in the grueling fight  for the eastern city.

Now, Prigozhin has launched an all-out rebellion against the Kremlin -- after his increasingly outrageous outbursts sparked speculation that he could be going too far.

Read more:

Russian  military are carrying out the necessary “combat measures” in the  southern Russia city of Voronezh, the region's governor said.

Alexander  Gusev posted a brief update on his Telegram channel, as geolocated  videos emerge showing Wagner fighters and vehicles on the move along the  M-4 highway that leads to the city of Voronezh from southern Russia.

“As  part of the counter-terrorist operation on the territory of the  Voronezh region, the armed forces of the Russian Federation are carrying  out the necessary operational and combat measures. I will keep you  updated as the situation develops,” Gusev said.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has condemned the actions of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and pledged his support to the Kremlin.

Addressing  Wagner fighters, Kadyrov said: “Whatever goals you are given, no matter  what promises you are told -- the security of the state and the  cohesion of Russian society at such a moment is above all else! See how  our enemies in the West are taking advantage of this situation….These  are the expected consequences of Prigozhin's treacherous march.” 

He also spoke of a “vile betrayal” by Prigozhin. 

In  a long statement on Telegram, Kadyrov said: “I have repeatedly warned  that war is not the time to voice personal grievances and resolve  disputes in our rear. The rear must always be calm and reliable. Imagine  how the guys in the trenches feel now, in the face of which there is an  enemy, and behind their backs a treacherous adventure. We are talking  about stability, about the cohesion of the state, about the security of  citizens.”

Kadyrov  continued: “We have a Supreme Commander-in-Chief, elected by the  people, who knows the whole situation to the smallest detail better than  any strategist.”

Referring to President Putin’s  address to the nation Saturday, he said: “Vladimir Vladimirovich quite  rightly noted in his address to the nation -- this is a military  rebellion! There is no excuse for such actions! I fully support every  word of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin!

“What  is happening is not an ultimatum to the Ministry of Defense. This is a  challenge to the state, and against this challenge it is necessary to  rally around the national leader: the military, security forces,  governors, and the civilian population.”

Kadyrov’s statement ends: “The rebellion must be crushed, and if this requires harsh measures, then we are ready!”

Some context: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin  claimed Saturday to have seized control of key military facilities in  Rostov and Voronezh, pledging to move on to Moscow if Russia's Defense  Minister Sergei Shoigu and top general Valery Gerasimov, did not meet  with him.

Earlier,  the official Russian news agency TASS reported that traffic had been  blocked on the M-4 highway past Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay.

“All  cars moving from Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay are being redirected back  in the city, and police checkpoints have been reinforced,” TASS  reported.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a call for unity in Russia in order to prevent the potential threat of “civil strife.”

“We  have one commander in chief [Vladimir Putin]. Not two, not three. One.  And he urged everyone to unite,” spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a  Telegram post, echoing sentiments expressed by other government  officials.

“The enemy is just waiting for our civil strife,” she added.

Zakharova  urged the men of Russia to unite despite their differing views. “Behind  you are children, women, your parents! Behind you is the country.  Behind you is everything that you defend with weapons in your hands.  Behind you are the graves of those who did not spare themselves. You are  future generations. Hold on and don't give in."

Zakharova concluded her message by urging Russians to stand strong.

“Today we are all being tempted, our strength tested. Don't give in! Together with the President! May God keep us!” she added.

Her words of defiance come as Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin  claimed Saturday to have seized control of key military facilities in  Rostov and Voronezh, pledging to move on to Moscow if Russia's Defense  Minister Sergei Shoigu and top general Valery Gerasimov did not meet  with him.

Rumors  of military equipment moving through Russia's southern city Voronezh  amid reports of Wagner fighters also traveling in the region, have been  disputed by its governor Alexander Gusev.

“A  lot of unreliable information is now being published on social networks  about the alleged movement of columns of military equipment through the  territory of the Voronezh region,” Gusev said in a statement Saturday.

“The  legislation of the Russian Federation provides for liability for the  dissemination of such messages,” he added, asking people to only follow  information from official sources.

"I also ask the media to take a responsible approach to posting information,” Gusev said.

The  Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted its correspondent in Voronezh as  saying that “access to the buildings of the FSB and the Ministry of  Internal Affairs in Voronezh is blocked, the police are on duty.”

Motorists  on a major highway in southern Russia have been advised to avoid the  route, amid reports that convoys of Wagner fighters are using it.

The warning was posted on Telegram by the company Avtodor, which operates Russian highways.

“Drivers, Attention. Please choose routes around the M-4,” the message read.

The M-4 runs north from Rostov to Voronezh and onto Moscow.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin  claimed Saturday to have seized control of key military facilities in  Rostov and Voronezh, pledging to move on to Moscow if Russia's Defense  Minister Sergei Shoigu and top general Valery Gerasimov, did not meet  with him.

Earlier,  the official Russian news agency TASS reported that traffic had been  blocked on the M-4 highway past Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay.

“All  cars moving from Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay are being redirected back  in the city, and police checkpoints have been reinforced,” TASS  reported.

12 hr 19 min ago

European leaders and NATO monitor situation in Russia

From CNN's Joseph Ataman, Sharon Braithwaite, Antonia Mortensen and Uliana Pavlova

NATO  is "monitoring the situation" in Russia, a spokesperson told CNN  Saturday, which the European Union has also said it is "carefully"  doing.

"We  are following the situation carefully and are in permanent contact with  our Ambassador in Moscow and continuing our internal consultations with  our Member States," EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security  Policy Nabila Massrali told CNN.

"What we are witnessing is an internal Russian issue," Massrali added.

Other European leaders have also commented that they are monitoring the events.

French President Emmanuel Macron is following Russia "closely," the Elysee Palace said Saturday.

“The President is monitoring the situation closely. We remain focused on supporting Ukraine," the Elysee said.

Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas tweeted that they were also following developments and trading information with allies.

"Border  security has been strengthened. I also urge our people not to travel to  any part of Russia," she said after assuring they do not face any  direct threat.

Similarly, Poland's President Andrzej Duda said they were watching the situation on an "ongoing basis."

"Due  to the situation in Russia, we held consultations this morning with the  Prime Minister and the Ministry of National Defense, as well as with  the Allies. The course of events beyond our eastern border is monitored  on an ongoing basis," Duda tweeted Saturday.

Meanwhile,  Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir  Putin spoke by phone Saturday morning, Belarusian official news agency  reported.

"The Russian president informed his counterpart about the situation in the country,” BELTA said.

Belarus, which shares borders with both Russia and Ukraine, was a key ally to Putin when the war started February last year.

The  Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced the introduction of  a counter-terrorist operation regime in Moscow, the Moscow region and  Voronezh region.

"In  order to prevent possible terrorist acts on the territory of the city  of Moscow, the Moscow and Voronezh regions, a counter-terrorist  operation regime has been introduced," the statement said. 

According to Russian state media, this is the first time that the counter-terrorist regime has been announced in these regions. 

The  measures were announced as the head of the Wagner private military  group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was accused of mounting an armed revolt  against the Russian state. 

The counter-terrorist regime includes, but is not limited to:

• document checks

• strengthened protection of public order

• monitoring telephone conversations

• restricting communications

• restricting the movement of vehicles and pedestrians on the streets.

Russian  President Vladimir Putin warned that those on the “path of treason” or  armed rebellion will be “punished” after the head of the Wagner  paramilitary group said his troops had taken control of military  facilities in two Russian cities, plunging the country into crisis.

Here are some of the key lines from Putin's address:

• Putin  vowed a harsh response and punishment of those involved in armed  rebellion. "Any actions that fracture our unity" are "a stab in the back  of our country and our people,” he said.

• Putin said the armed  forces "have been given the necessary orders" and "decisive action will  also be taken to stabilize the situation in Rostov." 

• He said,  "additional anti terrorism, security measures have been imposed in  Moscow, Moscow region and a number of other regions."

• Putin  appealed to Wagner forces "pushed into the provocation of a military  rebellion," saying at this time, "we require unity, consolidation, and  responsibility."

• Putin described events in Rostov as an  insurrection. He said the situation in Rostov "remains difficult during  the armed uprising" and "the work of civil and military administration  is basically blocked."

• Putin said the country had been "betrayed  by those who are trying to organize a mutiny, pushing the country  toward anarchy and fratricide." He said "excessive ambition and vested  interests have led to treason."

• Putin said it was a "blow to Russia," adding, "Internal turmoil is a mortal threat to our statehood, to us as a nation."

Russian  President Vladimir Putin said Wagner's "betrayal" and "any actions that  fracture our unity," are "a stab in the back of our country and our  people."

"What  we are facing is precisely betrayal. Excessive ambition and vested  interests have led to treason. Betrayal of one's country, one's people,  and the cause for which the soldiers and commanders of the Wagner group  had fought and died, side by side with our other units," Putin said. 

Putin  called Wagner actions "internal treachery," saying that "all kinds of  political adventurers and foreign forces, who divided the country and  tore it apart, profited from their own interests. We will not let this  happen again. We will protect both our people and our statehood from any  threats, including internal treachery."

Russian  President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address Saturday, "the  situation in Rostov-on-Don remains difficult during the armed uprising."

"In Rostov, the work of civil and military administration is basically blocked," Putin said. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin appealed to Wagner forces in an address Saturday.

"I appeal to those pushed into the provocation of a military rebellion," he said.

Putin added that at this time, "we require unity, consolidation, and responsibility."

"Those  who carry deliberately on a path of treason, preparing an armed  rebellion when you were preparing terrorist attacks, will be punished,"  Putin said. 

The  Russian President said, "any internal turmoil is a deadly threat to our  statehood for us as a nation; it is a blow to Russia for our people and  our actions to protect our homeland. Such a threat will face a severe  response."

15 hr 18 min ago

Wagner chief claims to have seized control of key military facilities in 2 Russian cities. Here's the latest

The simmering conflict between Moscow’s military leadership and Yevgeny Prigozhin,  the bombastic chief of private mercenary group Wagner, has dramatically  escalated into an open insurrection that plunges Russia into renewed  uncertainty.

Moscow's  mayor said the capital is reinforcing security as Prigozhin claimed to  have seized control of key military facilities in the Russian cities of  Rostov and Voronezh Saturday.

Here's the latest:

• Wagner claims control in Rostov: Prigozhin  said in a video he is in Rostov-on-Don, in southern Russia close to the  Ukraine border, and that his forces have control of military facilities  and the airfield there. He pledged to blockade  Rostov and move on to Moscow if Russia's Defense Minister and top  general did not meet with him in the city, where Russia’s Southern  Military District is headquartered. He said his men are not stopping the officers from carrying out their duties. It comes after Prigozhin said his fighters were entering the Rostov  region on Friday and that Russian Guards and military police have  joined the Wagner group. CNN cannot independently verify his claims.  Videos circulating on social media and geolocated to Rostov city show  military vehicles on the streets and helicopters over the city Saturday  morning. It is currently unclear whose command the vehicles are under  the control of.

• Claims of control in Voronezh: The  Wagner group later said it had taken control of Russian military  facilities in the city of Voronezh, in southwestern Russia, saying "the  army switches to the side of the people." Earlier, the governor  of Voronezh oblast said that "a convoy of military equipment is moving  along the M-4 Don Federal Highway." The M-4 is a highway connecting  Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don. Voronezh is directly north of the Rostov  region.

• Alleged helicopter attack: Prigozhin also claimed a helicopter fired at a civilian column and was downed by  his forces, but did not give any further details. He accused the  Russian military's chief of staff of ordering an aerial attack "in the  middle of civilian cars." Later, he said that his units were hit by a  helicopter on a highway. CNN cannot independently verify these claims.

• Prigozhin accuses Russia of killing his forces:  The Wagner chief accused Russia's military leadership of killing a  "huge amount" of his mercenary forces in a strike on a camp and vowed to  retaliate. "Many dozens, tens of thousands of lives, of Russian  soldiers will be punished," Prigozhin said. "I ask that nobody put up  any resistance." In a later Telegram post, Prigozhin said that his  criticism of the military leadership was a “march of justice” and not a coup. Russia’s Ministry of Defense denied Prigozhin’s claims, calling it an “informational provocation."

• Russia accuses Prigozhin of "armed rebellion":  The Federal Security Service (FSB), Russia’s domestic intelligence  service, responded by urging Wagner fighters to detain their leader and  on Friday it opened a criminal case against the Prigozhin, accusing the  mercenary force's chief of calling for "armed rebellion,"  the state news agency TASS reported. Russia's Ministry of Defense  appealed to Wagner forces to "safely return to their points of permanent  deployment," saying they were "tricked into Prigozhin's criminal  adventure."

• Russia steps up security: Moscow's  mayor said "anti-terrorist measures" are being carried out in the city. A  local journalist said the streets appear calm in Moscow, but that there  is heightened security at government agencies. In the Russian city of Rostov,  military vehicles could be seen driving the streets. Posts were  organized on Saturday in the area of the headquarters of the Southern  Military District in Rostov where military personnel and law enforcement  officers are keeping order, a TASS correspondent reported.

Russia's  Ministry of Defense appealed to Wagner forces to "safely return to  their points of permanent deployment" on Saturday, after the private  mercenary group's chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed to have taken control  of military facilities in two Russian cities.  

"You  were tricked into Prigozhin's criminal adventure and participation in  an armed rebellion," the Russian Ministry of Defense said on their  official Telegram channel.

"Many  of your comrades from several squads have already realized their  mistake by asking for help in ensuring the ability to safely return to  their points of permanent deployment," the statement said. 

"Such assistance from our side has already been provided to all the fighters and commanders who applied," it continued. 

The Ministry of Defense said it would "guarantee everyone's safety."

The  Wagner paramilitary group claimed Saturday it had taken control of  Russian military facilities in the Russian city of Voronezh.

"Military  facilities in Voronezh are taken under the control of the Wagner PMC.  The army switches to the side of the people," read a short statement  from Wagner's Telegram channel. 

Earlier  on Saturday, Wager chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said he was at the military  headquarters in Rostov and that the local airfield was under his force's  control.

Russian  security forces have cordoned off the building of the Wagner Center in  St. Petersburg, according to Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti.

Videos  circulating on Telegram channels of the Wagner group show security  personnel at the headquarters in St. Petersburg and a cordon around the  building.

Russia's  Defense Ministry told reporters on Friday that claims "the information  spread on social networks" about a Russian strike on a Wagner military  camp "is false," according to Russian state media.

“All  the messages and video footage distributed on social networks on behalf  of E. Prigozhin about the alleged strike by the Russian Defense  Ministry against the 'military camps of the Wagner PMCs' do not  correspond to reality and are an information provocation," the Ministry  of Defense said, TASS reported Saturday.

The  Russian Defense Ministry also said the Russian Armed Forces continue to  carry out combat missions on the line of contact with the Armed Forces  of Ukraine.

Some context: Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is the chief of private military group Wagner, accused Russian forces of striking a Wagner military camp and killing a “a huge amount” of his fighters, in a series of Telegram messages on Friday.

Russian  President Vladimir Putin will address the nation "soon," according to  Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, state media outlet TASS reported.

The news follows claims the Wagner mercenary group has taken military control of a Russian city.

16 hr 49 min ago

Prigozhin says Rostov military headquarters and airfield are under Wagner control 

From CNN's Josh Pennington 

Wagner  chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said his forces have control of military  facilities in Rostov-on-Don and control of the airfield there.

"We  are at headquarters at 7:30 a.m. Military facilities in Rostov,  including the airfield are under [our] control," Prigozhin said in a  video posted on the Wagner official Telegram channel.

"Planes  that leave for combat work leave as usual no problems. Medical flights  are leaving as usual. All we did was to take control so that the attack  aviation would not strike us but strike in the Ukrainian direction."

Prigozhin said he is in Rostov-on-Don and his men are not stopping the officers from carrying out their duties. 

"The  main headquarters, the main control point is working as normal, there  are no problems. No officers have been cut off," Prigozhin said. 

CNN cannot independently verify his claims.

The  fact that Russia's domestic intelligence agency the Federal Security  Service (FSB) opened a criminal case against Yevgeny Prigozhin suggests  that Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned on the Wagner chief, a  former CIA officer said.

“In  my mind when the FSB says, ‘we see this is a criminal act and we’re  investigating it,’ that to me means that Putin is right on top of it,”  Steve Hall, a former career CIA officer and now CNN contributor, told  CNN.

Prigozhin  “knows precisely what his risk is... which is kind of interesting when  you think about it, because that means he must have calculated that he  can pull this off," Hall said.

“A  guy like Prigozhin knows what the risks are and knows that if it  doesn’t go well for him, it’s going to go really badly,” he added.

Video  released by the Wagner group on its official Telegram channel  reportedly shows its chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in the Russian city of  Rostov-on-Don.

The video was posted on Saturday morning.

Russian  President Vladimir Putin "should be very nervous" after Wagner chief  Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed his troops were moving against Russia’s  military leadership, former US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor  said.

Russia's FSB security service accused Prigozhin of calling for an "armed rebellion" when he vowed retaliation after claiming Moscow's military killed a "huge amount" of his mercenaries in a strike on a camp.

"He's  probably watching very carefully. He should be very nervous. He's got  big problems here. He's got the military that is now diverting its  attention to one of its own, to Prigozhin, to the Wagner group," Taylor  told CNN.

"Putin's  got real problems within the country. This is a series of problems that  he's got to deal with right now," Taylor added.

Taylor said it was a "very important" moment for Ukraine.

"Ukrainians  are now wrapping up their counteroffensive. This is the perfect timing  for the Ukrainians to really take advantage of this chaos in Moscow,  chaos in the Russian military," he said.

The  governor of Voronezh oblast, in southwestern Russia, said that  "a convoy of military equipment is moving along the M-4 Don Federal  Highway."

The  M-4 is a highway connecting Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don. Voronezh is  directly north of the Rostov region, where Yevgeny Prigozhin said his  Wagner fighters were approaching the city of Rostov.

"A  convoy of military equipment is moving along the M-4 Don Federal  Highway. We request all residents of Voronezh Oblast to temporarily  refrain from using the M-4 Don Federal Highway and personal vehicles,"  said Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev in an update.
"The situation  is under control. The region's power structures are taking all the  necessary measures to ensure the safety of the region's residents."

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has said that Russian Guards and military police are joining the Wagner group.

In  an audio recording from Prigozhin Saturday and translated by CNN, he  claimed that, "Where soldiers meet us, the Russian Guards and military  police, they wave their hands cheerfully." 

The Wagner chief claimed in the recording that between 60 and 70 soldiers from the Russian military have joined Wagner forces.

"Many  of them are saying: "We want to join you." Already 60 to 70 people have  joined us, although we have gone a little way yet. I think half of the  army is ready to join us."

CNN cannot independently verify the claims.

18 hr 3 min ago

Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin?

Yevgeny Prigozhin  is the chief of Russia’s private mercenary group Wagner, which has been  at the forefront of much of the fighting in Russia's war on Ukraine.

Prigozhin  has known Russian President Vladimir Putin since the 1990s. He became a  wealthy oligarch by winning lucrative catering contracts with the  Kremlin, earning him the moniker “Putin’s chef.”

His  transformation into a brutal warlord came in the aftermath of the 2014  Russian-backed separatist movements in the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

Prigozhin  founded Wagner to be a shadowy mercenary outfit that fought both in  eastern Ukraine and, increasingly, for Russian-backed causes around the  world.

CNN  has tracked Wagner mercenaries in the Central African Republic, Sudan,  Libya, Mozambique, Ukraine and Syria. Over the years they have developed  a particularly gruesome reputation and have been linked to various  human rights abuses.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine: Prigozhin’s political star rocketed in Russia after Moscow’s full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

While  many regular Russian troops saw setbacks on the battlefield, Wagner  fighters seemed to be the only ones capable of delivering tangible  progress.

Known  for its disregard for the lives of its own soldiers, the Wagner group’s  brutal and often lawless tactics are believed to have resulted in high  numbers of casualties, as new recruits are sent into battle with little  formal training – a process described by retired United States Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling as “like feeding meat to a meat grinder.”

Prigozhin  has used social media to lobby for what he wants and often feuded with  Russia’s military leadership, casting himself as competent and ruthless  in contrast to the military establishment.

Disagreements with Russian leadership: His  disagreements with Russia’s top brass exploded into the public domain  during the grim and relentless battle for Bakhmut during which he  repeatedly accused the military leadership of failing to supply his  troops with enough ammunition.

Putin  presides over what is often described as a court system, where  infighting and competition among elites is in fact encouraged to produce  results, as long as the “vertical of power” remains loyal to and  answers to the head of state.

But Prigozhin’s increasingly outrageous outbursts have sparked speculation in recent weeks that even he could be going too far.

Read more here.

Yevgeny Prigozhin,  the founder of the Russian private military group Wagner, on  Friday accused Russia's military leadership of killing a "huge amount"  of his mercenary forces in a strike on a camp.

And  he vowed to retaliate. "Many dozens, tens of thousands of lives, of  Russian soldiers will be punished," Prigozhin said. "I ask that nobody  put up any resistance."

In a later Telegram post, Prigozhin said that his criticism of the military leadership was a “march of justice” and not a coup. 

His  comments prompted Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to launch a  criminal case, accusing the mercenary force's chief of calling for "armed rebellion," the state news agency TASS reported.

Here's the latest on the situation unfolding in Russia:

• Prigozhin's claims: The Wagner chief on Friday said his fighters were entering  the Russian Rostov region, which neighbors Ukraine. Prigozhin warned  against anyone obstructing him: "We will destroy everything that gets in  our way," he said. Prigozhin also claimed a helicopter fired at a  civilian column and was downed  by his forces, but did not give any further details. He accused the  Russian military's chief of staff of ordering an aerial attack "in the  middle of civilian cars." He later said that his units were hit by a  helicopter on a highway. CNN cannot independently verify these claims.

• Nations monitor the infighting in Russia: President Vladimir Putin is aware "of  the situation unfolding around Prigozhin," Russian state media TASS  said Friday, as well as the investigation into his comments. In Ukraine,  Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the country's presidential  administration, tweeted "tumultuous times are coming," while Ukraine's Ministry of Defense concisely tweeted: "We are watching." In the US, the White House said  it was "monitoring the situation and will be consulting with allies and  partners on these developments,” according to Adam Hodge, National  Security Council spokesperson.

• Russian officials urge Wagner fighters to detain their leader: The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) urged  Wagner Group fighters not to follow Prigozhin's orders and implored  fighters to take measures to detain him. Similarly, Sergey Surovikin,  Russia’s top commander in Ukraine, urged the mercenary fighters to  "stop" and to "obey the will" of President Putin.  "We are of the same blood. We are warriors. I urge you to stop, the  enemy is only waiting for the internal political situation to worsen in  our country," Surovikin was seen saying in a video posted to Telegram by  a Russian state media reporter.

• Russia takes steps to control the narrative: State news TV channel Russia 24 interrupted the broadcast of a program Friday night to  read out a message from the Russian Ministry of Defense, stating the  claims made by the Wagner mercenary group leader "do not correspond to  reality." This statement has been widespread throughout Russia, even appearing on Telegram in a message from the defense ministry.

• Russia steps up security: In the Russian city of Rostov near  southeast Ukraine, military vehicles could be seen driving the streets.  Posts were organized on Saturday in the area of the headquarters of  the Southern Military District in Rostov where military personnel and  law enforcement officers are keeping order, a TASS correspondent  reported. The preparations were taking place as Prigozhin said his fighters were entering the Rostov region. In Moscow, security measures were also visible,  according to TASS. Moscow's mayor said "anti-terrorist measures" are  being carried out in the city. A local journalist said the streets  appear calm in Moscow, but that there is heightened security at  government agencies.

Wagner  chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said Saturday his units were hit by a  helicopter on a highway and threatened to “destroy everything” in his  way, in an audio message posted on his Telegram channel.

It's unclear exactly where the units were.

"One  of the assault squads came under fire from the helicopters. The Wagner  units are intact, the helicopter is destroyed and is burning in the  forest,” Prigozhin said, adding “we will take it as a threat and destroy  everything around us.” 

CNN is unable to verify these claims and any video evidence of this.

Prigozhin also said his units are “ready to die.” 

“Because  we are dying for the Russian people, that must be liberated from those  people who are striking at the civilian population, which they just hit  in Rostov from helicopters,” he said. 

This comes as Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Saturday in a Telegram post that “in connection with the incoming information, antiterrorist measures are being taken in Moscow aimed at strengthening security measures.” 

“Additional control on the roads has been introduced. Limitations on holding the public events are possible,” Sobyanin added. 

Moscow  Mayor Sergei Sobyanin says that "anti-terrorist measures" are being  carried out in the city as a result of "incoming information," according  to an update on his Telegram group.

"In  connection with the incoming information, antiterrorist measures are  being taken in Moscow aimed at strengthening security measures,"  Sobyanin said.

The measures include "additional control on the roads" and "limitations on holding public events."

US  officials determined as early as January that there was an internal  power struggle underway between the mercenary Wagner Group and the  Russian government, and have been gathering and closely monitoring  intelligence on the volatile dynamic ever since.

As  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine stalled earlier this year, top American  officials said they saw indications of tension between the Kremlin and  the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. They said they believed those  tensions would mount over the coming months.

Officials  said their assessments of the situation derived from intelligence, an  indication of how seriously the White House and Pentagon took the  potential for a power struggle to cause further instability in the  ongoing conflict.

In  January, a top White House official said Wagner was becoming a “rival  power center to the Russian military and other Russian militaries.”

Officials  suggested at the time that Prigozhin was working to advance his own  interests in Ukraine instead of the broader Russian objectives. 

The  Wagner Group, which the West claimed had recruited prison convicts for  fighting in Ukraine, was making decisions based on “what they will  generate for Prigozhin, in terms of positive publicity,” John Kirby, the  National Security Council spokesman, said in January.

Since  then, White House and other US national security aides have been highly  attuned to what one official said was an “ongoing battle” between  Prigozhin and the Russian defense ministry. 

Read more here.

Yevgeny  Prigozhin, the chief of the private military group Wagner, said his  fighters are entering the Russian Rostov region, which neighbors  Ukraine.

“Now  we are entering Rostov. The units of the Ministry of Defense, or rather  the conscripts, who were thrown to block our road, stepped aside,”  Prigozhin said, adding that at the moment his units “have crossed the  state border in all places.”

“The border guards came out to meet and hugged our fighters,” he said.

Prigozhin  also accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the  General Staff Valery Gerasimov of “making a decision to destroy the  disobedient units (of Wagner PMC) that are ready to protect their  Motherland.” 

Prigozhin warned against anyone obstructing him: “We will destroy everything that gets in our way,” he said.

The Wagner chief’s statement comes as Russian state media TASS reported a stepped-up police presence in Rostov late Friday.

CNN cannot independently verify these claims.

President  Vladimir Putin is aware “of the situation unfolding around Yevgeny  Prigozhin,” Russian state media TASS said Friday, referring to the  leader of the Wagner Group.

He  is also aware that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) initiated a  criminal case accusing the mercenary force's chief of calling for "armed  rebellion" on Friday, TASS reported.

According to TASS, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said the allegations spread by Prigozhin “have no basis.”

Kremlin  spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said Putin is aware of the situation and  "all necessary measures are being taken," according to state media RIA  Novosti. 

Some context. Prigozhin on Friday accused Russian military leadership  of striking a Wagner military camp and killing a "huge amount" of his  mercenary forces. Prigozhin claimed that the Russian Ministry of Defense  tricked Wagner and he vowed to "respond to these atrocities." 

Prigozhin and Wagner have played a prominent role in the Ukraine war, and the leader has repeatedly and publicly feuded with Russia's defense heads over what he said was a lack of ammunition, at one point recording a video of him lashing out while standing in front of what he claimed were dead bodies of his fighters.

The  chief of the Wagner private military group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on  Friday accused Russian military leadership of striking a Wagner military  camp and killing a "huge amount" of his mercenary forces.

Prigozhin claimed that the Russian Ministry of Defense tricked Wagner and he vowed to "respond to these atrocities." 

"They  sneakily deceived us, trying to deprive us of the opportunity to defend  our homes and instead hunt down Wagner PMC. We were ready to compromise  with the Ministry of Defense to hand over our weapons and find a  solution how we will continue to defend our country. But these scumbags  did not calm down," Prigozhin said in a voice note posted on Telegram.

"They  saw that we weren't broken and they launched strikes on our camps. A  huge amount of our fighters were killed, our comrades in arms. We will  make a decision about how to respond to these atrocities. The  next step is ours," he continued, alleging that "they wiped out dozens."

Russia's  Ministry of Defense denied the allegation in a Telegram post Friday,  calling the messages and videos spreading on social networks on behalf  of Prigozhin about the event "untrue" and "an informational  provocation."

Prigozhin  claimed that the "evil that is being carried out" by Russia's military  leadership "must be stopped" following the alleged attack. "They  disregard the lives of soldiers, they have forgotten the word  'justice,'" Prigozhin said in the voice recording. 

"The  details started to appear; Minister of Defense arrived to Rostov  especially to conduct an operation to destroy Wagner PMC. He used  artillerymen and helicopter pilots undercover to destroy us," Prigozhin  added. 

Prigozhin vows retaliation:  "Many dozens, tens of thousands of lives, of Russian soldiers will be  punished," Prigozhin said. "I ask that nobody put up any resistance.  Those who show such resistance, we will consider it a threat and destroy  them immediately. This includes any roadblocks standing in our way, any  aircraft seen over our heads."

He asked people to stay at home and "remain calm, not to be provoked."

In  a later Telegram post, Prigozhin said that by criticizing Russian  military leadership, he is carrying out a "march of justice" and not a  "military coup," alleging that a majority of Russian service members  support Wagner.  

"Finally, you will make them supply us with ammunition and make them stop using us as cannon fodder," Prigozhin added.

More background: Earlier on Friday, Prigozhin furthered his ongoing dispute with military leaders in a highly critical video interview  where he said Moscow invaded Ukraine under false pretenses devised by  the Russian Ministry of Defense, and that Russia is actually losing  ground on the battlefield.

And earlier this month, the Wagner boss said he won't sign contracts  with Russia’s defense ministry, rejecting an attempt to bring his force  in line. His comments came after an announcement by the Russian  Ministry of Defense that “volunteer units” and private military groups  would be required to sign a contract with the ministry.

Prigozhin  and Wagner have played a prominent role in the Ukraine war. In May he  said his troops had capture Bakhmut in a costly and largely symbolic  gain for Russia.

The Wagner chief has previously criticized Russia’s traditional military hierarchy, blaming Russian defense chiefs for “tens of thousands” of casualties and stating that divisions could end in a “revolution.”

He also accused Russian military leaders “sit like fat cats” in “luxury offices,” while his fighters are “dying,” and later accused the Russian Defense Ministry of trying to sabotage his troops’ withdrawal from Bakhmut, claiming the ministry laid mines along the exit routes.

CNN's Katharina Krebs, Lindsay Isaac, Uliana Pavlova, Radina Gigova, Josh Pennington contributed reporting to this post.