Alongside the Russian army's formal counterpart in Ukraine, The Wagner Group has been operating as a private army of mercenaries. In recent months, Prigozhin, a former friend of Putin's, has engaged in a fierce spat with Moscow. "We are going onwards and we will go to the end," he said in a new audio message.
Russia called for the arrest of Wagner's leader after accusing them of organising an armed insurrection. The long-running dispute over the conflict in Ukraine between Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and the military's senior brass is finally in the open.
The commander of the Russian mercenary organisation Wagner vowed on Saturday that his soldiers would "destroy everything" in their path as they worked to overthrow the country's military leadership in Moscow. Yevgeny Prigozhin promised to discredit Russia's military leadership in a new audio message, saying, "We are moving forward and we will go to the end."
Prigozhin, who has been embroiled in a dispute with the defence ministry for months, said on Friday that Moscow was launching lethal missile attacks at his soldiers and pledged to respond. He urged Russians to join his forces and punish Moscow's military leadership in the most audacious challenge to President Vladimir Putin since the start of the offensive in Ukraine last year.
The mayor of Moscow said on Saturday that "anti-terror" measures were being taken in the Russian capital after the chief of mercenary group Wagner vowed to bring down the country's military leadership.
According to claims in the official media, the Wagner troops have taken control of the Southern Military District facility in Rostov, increasing security across Moscow. Moscow's security forces are on high alert, and the city's government buildings, transport hubs, and other important areas have increased protection.
Russian authorities in Rostov have urged residents to stay home after the chief of Wagner group said his forces had entered the southern border region. The governor of Rostov area issued a warning: "Due to the current situation, please avoid travelling to the city centre and, if possible, stay at home."
Anti-Putin figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky has urged Russians to support Yevgeny Prigozhin, saying it was important to back "even the devil" if he decided to take on the Kremlin.