24-6-2023 (MOSCOW) Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, issued a stark warning on Saturday (Jun 24), vowing to take drastic measures to topple the country’s military leadership in Moscow, stating that his forces would stop at nothing to achieve their goal.
“We are moving forward, and we will see it through to the end,” declared Prigozhin in a newly released audio message, affirming his intent to sideline Russia’s military leadership.
Although Prigozhin claimed that his forces had entered the southern Russian region of Rostov, he did not offer any evidence to support his statement, and AFP could not independently verify his assertions.
“We will eliminate anything that obstructs our path,” he asserted.
Prigozhin, who has been embroiled in a dispute with the defense ministry for several months, accused Moscow on Friday of launching deadly missile strikes against his forces and vowed to retaliate.
In a daring challenge to President Vladimir Putin, he called on Russians to join his forces and hold Moscow’s military leadership accountable, marking one of the boldest challenges to the president since the start of the offensive in Ukraine last year.
The Kremlin announced on Saturday that Putin is being regularly briefed on the escalating tensions between Wagner and the defense ministry. “Security services and law enforcement agencies, including the defense ministry, the FSB, the interior ministry, and the national guard, are providing constant reports to the president, around the clock,” stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, as reported by Russian news agencies.
According to a state news agency, Moscow authorities have implemented heightened security measures. “Security measures in Moscow have been intensified, with critical facilities, government buildings, and transportation infrastructure receiving enhanced protection,” reported the state-run news agency TASS, citing a law enforcement source.
Russian state television aired an unscheduled special report echoing statements from the FSB security service, which accused Prigozhin of inciting a “civil conflict” and urged Wagner fighters to apprehend him.
Amateur footage published by local media depicted armored vehicles being deployed throughout the capital, including in proximity to the defense ministry.
