There have been too many different topics on this Wagner marches to Rsotov-on-don situation. I’d like to centralize discussion here. Lets post updates all in this thread.
Context: Wagner is a Private Military Company (aka PMC) that has been helping out the Russian military, especially in the push to capture Bakhmut. Despite fighting on the Russian/Kremlin side thus far, tensions have escalated over the past months. This week, Wagner was ordered to integrate properly into the military and this was apparently the last straw. By integrating into the military proper, it would effectively remove Yevgeny Prigozhin from his position of power over Wagner.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Wagner, started the day with a very public statement (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/wagner-chief-declares-war-on-putin-after-russia-launches-missile-strike-on-his-troops/ar-AA1cX3TG), accusing the Russian military of shooting a missile at his troops. Prizgozhin has singled out Shoigu (the Russian Minister of Defense) in these public talks, and began to march his ~20,000+ Wagner troops into Russia.
https://lemmy.world/post/500076
During this march, allegedly 2 Helicopters have been shot down (https://lemmy.world/post/497656). And within this past hour, Wagner troops seem to have surrounded key buildings in Rostov-on-don, the Headquarters of the Southern Russian Military.
https://lemmy.world/post/502058
That should get us all caught up on the current events until right now. Now instead of us posting in 15 different topics, lets try to centralize the news into this topic and get a better set of discussions going.
EDIT: I will be changing this post, and the title, as events occur. To help keep everyone up-to-date on the latest developments.
Update: https://lemmy.world/comment/494242
This post shows that the Wagner group has moved as far north as Voronezh. This is suggesting that Wagner really is making a move towards Moscow.
Wagner completely in control of Rostov, Yevgeny Prigozhin has a meeting at the headquarters of the Southern Military District with Russian Deputy Minister of Defense Yunus Bek Yevkurov and Russian First Deputy Chief of the GRU of the General Staff Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseev. Video from the meeting was published by telegram channels associated with Prigozhin, as well as RT
Prigozhin demands that Russian Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu are turned over to him, in person, otherwise, Wagner PMCs will continue blockade of Rostov and go to Moscow
He seems to be rather explicitly trying to exonerate Putin in this by saying the general lied to Putin and the people. The whole thing seems like a scheme by Putin to blame everything on someone else and have an easy out for why Russia “lost”.
Putin seems to be quite mad about Prigoshin. Hopefully they will destroy each other.
(The Guardian):
Yevgeny Prigozhin says in a new video message that all military sites in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don are under the Wagner mercenary group’s control, Reuters is reporting … Prigozhin says it that does not impede Russia’s conduct of what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine.
CNN: Wagner claims it has taken control of military facilities in 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.
Putin was apparently supposed to speak an hour ago, but I can’t find information on it anywhere
Apparently it just started
Lenny needs the concept of bot based megathreads.
I saw on a live YouTube feed that the forces in the city have switched sides with barely any shots being fired.
I also saw pictures of the local forces who were very poorly equipped.
Not surprising to me. Though I would not put it past Putin to air strike his own city.
Isn’t there quite a bit of speculation he already did that with some apartment buildings to blame the Chechens.