Timeline of Wagner mercenary group’s standoff that shook Putin’s Russia

The world watched in shock this weekend as Russian President Vladimir Putin confronted the best risk to his management since he assumed the function greater than 20 years in the past as Wagner mercenary forces mutinied and appeared to storm Moscow. 

However simply as shortly because the state of affairs escalated, the risk towards Moscow appeared to evaporate after Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered his males to cease their march and as a substitute reportedly head for Belarus following an obscure deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. 

Prigozhin resurfaced for the first time for the reason that settlement was reached Saturday in a Monday audio message posted to his Telegram, although his location stays unclear. 

On this handout picture taken from video launched by Prigozhin Press Service, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the proprietor of the Wagner Group army firm, information his video addresses in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. The proprietor of the Wagner personal army contractor who referred to as for an armed insurrection aimed toward ousting Russia’s protection minister has confirmed in a video that he and his troops have reached Rostov-on-Don.  (Prigozhin Press Service through AP)

Right here’s how the occasions unfolded:

Friday, June 23

– Tensions erupted Friday after Prigozhin launched a video on Telegram that straight contradicted Russian President Vladimir Putin’s justification for his unlawful invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

• The mercenary chief not solely mentioned there was no risk from Ukraine towards Russia, however that Kyiv had no plans to hitch the NATO alliance to take up arms towards Moscow. He additionally claimed this misinformation was right down to lies provided by the Ministry of Protection to deceive Putin and Russian society.

– The Wagner chief posted a sequence of clips by which he additionally accused the Russian protection ministry of firing a rocket strike upon Wagner mercenaries in Ukraine. 

• Prigozhin referred to as for the ousting of Protection Minister Sergey Shoigu and chief of the overall workers, Valery Gerasimov, and mentioned his troops would punish them for his or her actions.

Fighters of Wagner personal mercenary group stand guard in a avenue close to the headquarters of the Southern Navy District within the metropolis of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023.  (Reuters)

Saturday, June 24

– By early Saturday Prigozhin mentioned his forces had crossed the Ukraine-Russia border and had taken management of the army headquarters within the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

• Photos and movies surfaced displaying Wagner mercenaries, tanks and automobiles within the metropolis that it apparently took and not using a struggle from Russian residents or forces.
• The town was a major take for Prigozhin as it’s not solely the biggest metropolis in southern Russia but in addition the headquarters of the Russian southern army district command, whose 58th Mixed Arms Military is combating in southern Ukraine.

Members of Wagner group examine a automotive in a avenue of Rostov-on-Don, on June 24, 2023. President Vladimir Putin on June 24, 2023 mentioned an armed mutiny by Wagner mercenaries was a “stab within the again” and that the group’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had betrayed Russia, as he vowed to punish the dissidents. Prigozhin mentioned his fighters management key army websites within the southern metropolis of Rostov-on-Don. (STRINGER/AFP through Getty Photos)

– As many as 25,000 Wagner mercenaries have been alleged to have adopted Prigozhin into Russia to not solely take the southern metropolis however to push north in the direction of the Voronezh area on their eventual technique to Moscow. 

• Russia’s Federal Safety Service (FSB) responded by launching a legal investigation towards Prigozhin and accused him of launching what amounted to a mutiny.
• In an announcement the FSB referred to as Prigozhin’s actions a “stab within the again” to all Russian troopers and urged Wagner troops “to not make irreparable errors, to cease any forceful actions towards the Russian folks, to not perform the legal and treacherous orders of Prigozhin, and to take measures to detain him.”
• Prigozhin insisted his insurrection was not “a army coup” however a “march of justice.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on displays as he addresses the nation after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the proprietor of the Wagner Group army firm, referred to as for armed insurrection and reached the southern metropolis of Rostov-on-Don along with his troops, in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023.  (Pavel Bednyakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photograph through AP, File)

– By 10 a.m. Putin gave a televised address calling Prigozhin’s actions an “armed mutiny” and a “knife in the again of our nation and our folks,” although he by no means named Prigozhin straight. 

• “Inflated ambitions and private pursuits have led to treason — treason towards our nation, our folks and the frequent trigger which Wagner Group troopers and commanders have been combating and dying for shoulder to shoulder, along with our different models and troops,” he mentioned.  “Their reminiscence and glory have additionally been betrayed by those that try to stage a revolt and are pushing the nation in the direction of anarchy and fratricide — and finally, in the direction of defeat and give up.”

– Experiences started to floor that Wagner forces had entered the Voronezh area and shortly after 11:40, and the governor of the area, Aleksandr Gusev, took to Telegram to say that Russian forces have been “conducting essential operational and fight actions” in a “counterterrorism operation,” reported the Kyiv Unbiased. 

– Chechen chief and Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov mentioned that Chechen forces had been despatched to the “battle zones” in Russia.

Armored automobiles are seen because the site visitors density occurred the place safety measures taken alongside the M4 freeway to Moscow amid escalating tensions between the Kremlin and the pinnacle of the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, in Moscow, Russia on June 24, 2023. (Boris Alekseev/Anadolu Company through Getty Photos)

– Prigozhin responded to Putin’s tackle in a video message posted to his Telegram and mentioned his Wagner forces wouldn’t again down “as a result of we do not need the nation to proceed residing in corruption, deceit, and paperwork.”

• Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin urged residents to remain indoors and declared Monday a time off work because the Russian Nationwide Guard labored to defend town from a doable assault.
• A machine gun place was arrange by Russian troopers on the southwest fringe of Moscow as armed police gathered south of town on the M4 freeway, which was being utilized by Wagner mercenaries to advance.

– The U.S. and its NATO allies mentioned they have been intently monitoring the state of affairs.

– By 1:30 p.m., Putin’s workplace introduced he had held cellphone conversations with the leaders of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan concerning the “state of affairs” in Russia.

– Round 4 p.m., studies started to floor alleging that Russian army helicopters had opened hearth on a convoy of Wagner mercenaries that have been reportedly greater than midway in the direction of Moscow.

• Russian information outlet Tass reported that Wagner forces have been supplied amnesty in the event that they laid down their weapons, although the report has since been taken down.

On this picture launched by Roscongress Basis, Russian President Vladimir Putin, proper, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko discuss to one another through the plenary session of the Eurasian Financial Discussion board in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Might 24, 2023.  (Vyacheslav Viktorov, Roscongress Basis through AP)

– By 4 p.m., Lukashenko claimed he brokered a deal between Putin and Prigozhin as Wagner forces have been reported to have reached an space referred to as Yelets, roughly 250 miles south of Moscow.

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– Round 8:30 p.m. Moscow time, Prigozhin launched an audio message by means of his press service’s Telegram account that mentioned that he had determined to finish the mutiny and switch his troops round to avoid more bloodshed. 

• “They wished to disband the Wagner army firm. We launched into a march of justice on June 23. In 24-hours we acquired to inside 200 km [125 miles] of Moscow. On this time we didn’t spill a single drop of our fighters’ blood,” he mentioned based on a translation by Reuters. “Now the second has come when blood might be spilled. Understanding accountability [for the chance] that Russian blood might be spilled on one aspect, we’re turning our columns round and going again to subject camps as deliberate.”
• Prigozhin and his Wagner forces that joined within the insurrection have allegedly been supplied protected heaven in Belarus, although the phrases of the settlement stay unclear.
• Remaining Wagner forces in Ukraine that didn’t be a part of the mutiny might be absorbed in Russia’s army.

Reuters contributed to this report.