Russian Civil War starts tonight

Head of Wagner mercenaries brands Putin's army chiefs 'evil' who 'must be stopped' and launches 'march for justice' towards Moscow: Kremlin puts troops on capital's streets and vows to smash 'armed mutiny' as TV runs emergency bulletin

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has accused Russia of killing a 'huge number' of its forces in strikes and vowed to retaliate. He has ramped up his verbal attacks against Moscow in recent weeks, including questioning the very need for the military operation.

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Now is the time for the Rosary everybody, Putin must fall, and a new changed Russia born

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russian general urges Wagner fighters not to join ‘coup’ 

Updated 11 minutes ago

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner mercenary leader said his group would stop the “evil” of Moscow’s military leadership CREDIT: AP

KEY MOMENTS

Chosen by us to get you up to speed at a glance

11:21pm

Russian troops are on high alert amid ‘coup’ reports

2:49pm

Ukraine to bring officials to justice over bomb shelter deaths

12:10pm

Ukraine warns against 'panic' after alleged nuclear threat

11:11am

Wagner chief says Russia 'retreating' from Ukraine attacks

10:41am

Ukraine 'makes gains' in counter-offensive

The Russian military has ordered Wagner troops to stand down and return to their bases amid reports the mercenary group has launched a coup against the Kremlin.

It comes amid unconfirmed reports of Russian border guards reportedly not stopping a column of Wagner fighters moving through a checkpoint in Novoshakhtinsk, in Russia’s Rostov region.

On Friday night Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner mercenary leader, accused the Russian military of shelling his fighters and said his group would stop the “evil” of Moscow’s military leadership.

Russia’s security service launched a criminal investigation into Prigozhin and accused him of an “armed rebellion”.

Soldiers across Russia were put on high alert after Prigozhin said that he had 25,000 men ready to fight.

“This is a stab in the back of the country and the president,” Gen Vladimir Alekseyev, the deputy head of Russia’s military intelligence agency said in a video appeal urging Mr Prigozhin’s fighters not to join a rebellion. “This is a coup”.

Later reports said that Putin’s motorcade was seen speeding through Moscow to the Kremlin from his residence in the suburbs of the capital.  

The deputy commander of Russia’s Ukraine campaign, General Sergey Surovikin, urged Wagner soldiers to stand down.

Follow the latest updates below.

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ByMaighna Nanu, FOREIGN REPORTER and Josh White

11:48PM

Prigozhin calls for Russian national guard to join him

Yevgeny Prigozhin has reportedly called for Russia’s national guard to join Wagner troops on their “march for justice”.

Speaking via one of Wagner’s online messageboard channels, the mercenary chief said the guard, or Rosgvardia, should join him or “things will go badly”.

“The most promising politician appeals to the National Guard (Rosgvardia) with an offer that is better not refused,” he said.

“Obeying criminal orders and attempting to interfere with the planned campaign of justice will end badly for employees who have made the wrong choice.”

11:44PM

This is real, US official tells CNN

US officials are closely watching the situation in Russia and one source has told CNN: “This is real”.

The source told CNN that the US understands Prigozhin’s comments to be more than rhetoric.

 

 

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11:21PM

Russian troops are on high alert amid ‘coup’ reports

Russian troops are on high alert across the country after Wagner’s chief urged citizens to stay inside and threatened to march on the Kremlin.

Security was stepped up on Friday night at government buildings, transport facilities and other key locations in Moscow, the state news agency TASS reported, citing a source at a security service.

Hours earlier, Russian authorities had accused the head of the Wagner private militia of organising an armed mutiny after he vowed to avenge what he alleged, without evidence, was the killing of 2,000 of his fighters by the Russian army.