June 24, 2023 - Wagner head says group standing down

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio recording Saturday that he had turned his private mercenary forces around from a march toward Moscow to avoid bloodshed. 

The Belarusian government has claimed President Alexander Lukashenko reached a deal with the Wagner boss to halt the march.

Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar speaks at a news conference on November 10, 2022, in Kyiv.

Taking advantage of the unfolding turmoil in Moscow on Saturday, Ukrainian forces launched simultaneous counteroffensives in multiple directions, according to Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar. 

“The eastern grouping of troops today launched an offensive in several directions at the same time,” Maliar said in a Telegram post, naming several cities and towns, including Bakhmut and Yahidne, among the places where the offensive was launched.

Maliar said that “there is progress in all directions” without giving any further detail. 

She said there is heavy fighting ongoing in the south of the country, adding that Russian forces are “on the defensive, making great efforts to stop our offensive actions.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko had a phone call to discuss “the results of negotiations” with Wagner private military company chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, according to the Belarusian presidential press service.

Prigozhin announced Saturday he was turning his forces around from a march toward Moscow, saying only that the move was in accordance with an unspecified plan and intended to avoid Russian bloodshed.

The Belarusian government claimed Lukashenko brokered a deal with Prigozhin, without providing specifics.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks at a news conference in Kyiv on June 16.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday claimed Russian President Vladimir Putin is “very afraid,” after Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said he was turning his fighters around from a march toward Moscow. 

Zelensky also said Putin’s own actions were to blame for the situation facing him.

Recent developments in Russia, Zelensky said, show that “the bosses of Russia do not control anything,” adding that “it is happening on Russian territory, which is fully loaded with weapons.” 

“In one day, they lost several of their million-plus cities and showed all Russian bandits, mercenaries, oligarchs and anyone else how easy it is to capture Russian cities and, probably, arsenals with weapons,” Zelensky said. 

A Wagner member stands on top of an armored vehicle in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24.

United States intelligence officials believe Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had been planning a major challenge to Russia’s military leadership for quite some time, three people familiar with the matter tell CNN — but it was unclear what the ultimate aim would be.

Intelligence officials briefed congressional leaders known as the Gang of Eight earlier this week concerning Wagner movements and equipment buildups near Russia, two of the people said.

US and Western intelligence officials saw signs Prigozhin was making preparations for such a move, including by massing weapons and ammunition, one western intelligence official and another person familiar with the intelligence said.

The official said they believe Prigozhin’s claims of an ammunition shortage for operations in Ukraine was deliberate deception, to help lay the groundwork for a potential military challenge to Russian leaders. 

A source familiar with the intelligence said “it all happened very quickly,” and it was difficult to discern how serious Prigozhin was about threatening the Russian military and where he would take his troops.

As CNN has previously reported, US officials were caught off guard by the speed with which the situation unfolded Friday night and escalated into Saturday, causing senior officials to cancel planned international trips and convene emergency meetings across the government. 

Update: This post has been updated with the latest information from sources.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin speaks in this screengrab from a video released on June 24.

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin published a new audio recording Saturday claiming he was turning his forces around from a march toward Moscow. 

The announcement comes as the Belarusian government claimed President Alexander Lukashenko had reached a deal with Wagner boss to halt the march of his forces on Moscow. 

CNN has reached to Prigozhin’s office for comment.

US President Joe Biden speaks at a press conference on June 22.

President Joe Biden and US allies on Saturday reaffirmed their “unwavering support for Ukraine” in a call with leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom about the unfolding situation in Russia between the military and Wagner private military company.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have all remained closely aligned with Biden over the course of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden has frequently spoken and met with the trio over the last year.

Biden was briefed on the unfolding situation Saturday morning, the White House said, in addition to Friday night.

Members of Wagner group stand on a balcony in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24.

Former Russian President and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who currently serves as the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, accused Wagner of a “staged coup d’état,” Russian state media RIA Novosti reported on Saturday. 

RIA Novosti said that according to Medvedev, the participation of foreigners in the current military rebellion was “quite probable.” 

The state-owned outlet said that Medvedev also dismissed Prigozhin’s allegation that the Russian Defense Ministry had ordered strikes against his fighters at a Wagner camp on Friday.

Lt. Gen. Vladimir Alekseev, Russian intelligence official, has also criticized Prighozhin’s actions as “a coup d’état.” Prigozhin has claimed that his forces crossed the border into Russia from Ukraine but denies that he is carrying out a “military coup.”

“This is not a military coup, this is a march of justice. Our actions do not interfere with the troops in any way,” Prigozhin said in an audio recording posted to Telegram Friday.  

The Russian investigative outlet Fontanka on Saturday reported that a van stacked with boxes with cash was found parked near what is alleged to be an office of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin at the Hotel Trezzini in St. Petersburg. 

According to Fontanka, the amount of cash uncovered in an apparent search by authorities totaled 4 billion rubles, or approximately $47 million.

Fontanka posted a photo on its Telegram channel of boxes on the ground next to a van watched over by a police officer. 

It is unclear who ordered the search, but Prigozhin confirmed media reports in an audio message on one of his Telegram channels, saying that money he kept in a van and two buses was allocated for salaries, as well as for the payment of so-called “Cargo 200” compensation for the families of slain fighters. 

Equipment of the Wagner private military company is moving across territory in the southern Russian region of Lipetsk, according to the region’s governor, Igor Artamonov.

He said authorities are “taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the population,” adding that “the situation is under control” and that “there are no failures in the operation of critical infrastructure.”

Artamonov spoke as geolocated video emerged of a small group of military vehicles, including two tanks on flat-bed trailers, in the Lipetsk region.

An unidentified military column consisting of five vehicles was spotted about 400 kilometers (approximately 249 miles) away from Moscow, in the village of Krasnoye in the region, according to social media video shared by local blogs.

CNN was able to verify the location of the video. It shows vehicles driving along a local road next to the railway tracks.

There is no independent verification that the small convoy is affiliated with Wagner.

The local administration in the city of Lipetsk said that the entrances to the region’s capital city are blockaded in two directions, according to Russian news agency RIA Novosti on Saturday afternoon.

Artamonov implied that roads had been dug up by Wagner fighters, saying, “Traffic has been suspended on part of regional roads. In a number of sections, the roadbed was deliberately damaged — dug up by excavators.”

He said repairs would begin as soon as possible.

Social media video purportedly from Lipetsk showed a deep trench being dug by a backhoe tractor across one highway.

Lipetsk is the main city in the region of the same name, and it is about 470 kilometers (292 miles) south of Moscow.

US Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden attend an event at the White House on May 1.

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed this morning on the latest developments in Russia and were joined by a number of national security officials, according to the White House.

“Participants included National Security Advisor Sullivan, Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, Chairman Milley, Director Haines, Director Burns, and Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield. The President and Vice President will continue to be briefed throughout the day,” according to a White House statement.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also continues to be briefed, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement on Saturday.

“Secretary Austin and the Department continue to monitor the ongoing situation in Russia. Secretary Austin will continue to be briefed on any significant developments,” Ryder said.

Wagner fighters stand guard outside the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24.

Russian authorities have offered amnesty to Wagner mercenaries who agree to discard their arms, a lawmaker from the State Duma told Russian state media TASS on Saturday.

“Of course, there is a chance to lay down arms and avoid punishment, and the President also talked about this,” the head of the State Duma Committee on State Construction, Pavel Krasheninnikov, told TASS. 

Krasheninnikov added that Putin “spoke in a comprehensive manner,” and said that it’s key that this information gets through to them.

Russian police officers, traffic police officers and servicemen block part of a highway entering Moscow on June 24.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that a “counter-terrorist regime” has been declared in the city, according to a statement. 

According to Sobyanin, Moscow city services are on high alert.

Russian state media RIA Novosti reported Saturday that security measures are being strengthened at a number of places on the Moscow Ring Road. A checkpoint with a grenade launcher and an armored personnel carrier was installed at the exit from the Moscow Ring Road in the Yasenevo area and vehicles are being checked, according to RIA.

Earlier Saturday, the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced the introduction of a “counter-terrorist operation regime” in Moscow, as well as the Moscow region and Voronezh region.

The counter-terrorist regime includes, but is not limited to:

The latest Wagner movements: Equipment of the Wagner private military company is moving across territory in the southern Russian region of Lipetsk, according to the region’s governor, Igor Artamonov.

Lipetsk is the main city in the region of the same name, and it is about 470 kilometers (292 miles) south of Moscow.

Ukraine claims it has taken back territory in the east that was held by Russia since it annexed Crimea in 2014. 

According to military officials in Tavria in southeastern Ukraine, Ukrainian forces have captured “territories near Krasnohorivka in Donetsk” and are continuing to advance, state media Ukrinform reports. 

Another Ukrainian official claimed that Russian forces had been pushed out of the area about a week ago, but the information was not made public for “tactical reasons.” 

Ukrainian forces claim to have taken the area prior to the apparent Wagner insurrection but only announced it Saturday.

CNN cannot independently verify battlefield reports. 

In the years leading up to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a St. Petersburg-based businessman named Yevgeny Prigozhin emerged as a canny political entrepreneur.

Prigozhin and his companies served the interests of the Russian state, advancing Putin’s foreign policy in ways that were both useful and off the books.

Prigozhin’s relatively discreet public profile was his greatest asset. He bankrolled the notorious troll farm that the US government sanctioned for interference in the 2016 US presidential election; created a substantial mercenary force that played a key role in conflicts from Ukraine’s Donbas region to the Syrian civil war; and helped Moscow make a play for influence on the African continent.

All of Prigozhin’s activities gave the Kremlin a fig leaf of deniability. After all, mercenary activity was technically barred by Russian law, and Putin could always maintain that interference in US elections was merely the work of “patriotic” hackers.

And it also served Putin’s interest to outsource some of the dirty work of sponsoring armed insurrection in eastern Ukraine or holding territory in Syria. Wagner’s existence was not publicly acknowledged, and some of Prigozhin’s operations appeared to be partly self-funded, with various shell companies staking claims to oil and gas facilities and vying for access to gold and other riches.

But all of that changed with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. By giving Prigozhin free rein to raise a private army, Putin both unleashed the political ambitions of the businessman and surrendered the state’s monopoly on the use of force.

Read the full analysis here.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin faces increased rebellion by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin after the mercenary leader rejected surrender, calling the president “deeply mistaken” for saying his actions betray Russia.

In southwestern Russian regions, officials have cautioned residents to stay in their homes amid reports of Wagner equipment moving through the territories.

Here’s the latest:

Ukraine’s military will benefit from Yevgeny Prigozhin’s decision to turn his Wagner mercenaries on enemies inside Russia, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military in eastern Ukraine told CNN on Saturday.

Cherevatyi said the withdrawal of Wagner forces from the long-fought eastern city of Bakhmut in May was “very demoralizing” for Russian forces.

He also said that his forces planned to exploit Prigozhin’s outsized presence in the media.

“All his messages where he talks disrespectfully of (Russian Defense Minister Sergei) Shoigu and (head of the Joint Group of Forces Valery) Gerasimov, some regular Russian army units, praises the Ukrainian leadership, voices close to real losses in battles for Bakhmut – these messages are all demoralizing,” Cherevatyi said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry warned Western countries against using Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s rebellion to achieve what it called “Russophobic goals.”

“Such attempts are futile and will not find a response either in Russia or among sensible political forces abroad,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

It said the apparent insurrection “prompts sharp rejection in the Russian society” and claimed that it “plays into the hands of Russia’s external enemies.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks in Ankara, Turkey, on May 29.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, according to the Turkish President’s office. 

During the meeting, the latest developments in Russia were discussed, Erdogan’s office said. 

Erdoğan underscored the importance of acting with common sense and said Turkey is ready to do its part to resolve the situation in a peaceful and calm way, as soon as possible.

The Kremlin also confirmed the call, saying that Erdoğan pledged his “full support” with Putin.

“At the initiative of the Turkish side, Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan,” the Kremlin said in a readout.

“The President of Russia informed about the situation in the country in connection with an attempted armed rebellion. The President of the Republic of Turkey expressed full support for the steps taken by the Russian leadership.”

A munition that landed in the southwestern Russian city of Voronezh during what appears to have been a clash between Wagner units and Russian forces damaged a number of cars, according to state media.

The munition landed in a parking lot in a residential complex on the outskirts of Voronezh. It’s not clear whether it came from a Russian helicopter or Wagner fighters on the ground.

The resident’s car was damaged. Other residents said the glass in their apartments was shattered.

Earlier, RIA Novosti reported that a Russian military Mi-8 helicopter made a hard landing in the Voronezh region, and one person was injured.

RIA cited emergency services. It did not disclose whether the helicopter was one of those apparently involved in operations against Wagner forces on the outskirts of the city of Voronezh. 

Social media videos show at least one helicopter firing at ground targets on the outskirts of the city. 

CNN’s Uliana Pavlova contributed reporting to this post.

Members of Wagner group sit atop a tank in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24.

United States and Western officials are being careful not to weigh in on the events unfolding in Russia because of how Russian President Vladimir Putin could weaponize any perceived involvement by the West in the escalating crisis, sources familiar with US President Joe Biden administration’s thinking told CNN.

Officials across the administration convened emergency meetings on Friday night to assess the events, which unfolded so quickly that they caught US and European officials off guard, the sources said. 

While tensions have been steadily rising over the last few months between Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russia’s Ministry of Defense, US and European intelligence officials did not predict that Prigozhin would move to storm the Rostov region with his forces, sources familiar with the intelligence told CNN. 

A European intelligence official told CNN that the “temperature had obviously been building,” but few could have predicted what Prigozhin was planning.

The official said the West will be watching how this plays out over the next 24 to 48 hours, after which supply shortages will likely start kicking in for Wagner forces.

It is not clear to US or European officials how far in advance Prigozhin was planning the attack.

One source familiar with Western intelligence said it appeared that it must have taken at least several days to organize; another source, however, noted that Rostov is very close to the front lines in Ukraine, so it may not have required much forethought.

Officials and agencies across the world are reacting to the situation in Russia after the head of the Wagner private military group launched what Russian President Vladimir Putin called an “armed uprising.”

Here’s what they’re saying:

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for the resumption of law and order in Russia. 

The European Union’s top diplomat Josep Borrell triggered a bloc-wide crisis response center to monitor the developing rebellion by Wagner. On Twitter, he emphasized that the EU support to Ukraine “continues unabated.”

Latvia has increased security along its border with Russia and barred Russians from entering amid the developing situation, according to Latvia’s Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs. He said on Twitter that there is “no direct threat to Latvia” and said officials are exchanging information with allies.

Georgia is “monitoring closely” the events unfolding in Russia, President Salome Zourabichvili said Saturday.

Germany has also been monitoring developments “very closely” since yesterday evening and is in close contact with its international partners, the country’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Saturday.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is “closely following the events unfolding in Russia, which bear witness to how the aggression against Ukraine is also causing instability within the Russian Federation,” her office said in a statement.

The Italian Embassy in Moscow has appealed to Italian citizens in Russia’s Rostov and Voronezh regions to stay “under cover” and keep “informed of developments,” CNN’s affiliate SkyTG24 reported Saturday.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the current events show that Russia’s war on Ukraine has “backfired.”

The United Kingdom’s foreign secretary chaired a meeting of its government task force COBR (Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms). These meetings are called by the government to discuss the UK’s response to emergency situations. Earlier, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak urged the Kremlin and Wagner “to be responsible and to protect civilians.”

France’s Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, along with the French Embassy in Moscow, “is closely following ongoing events in Russia and is fully mobilized to ensure the security of French citizens in the country, as well as that of consular and diplomatic personnel,” the French Foreign Ministry said.

Russian security forces were seen taking positions in southern Moscow, according to photos published by Russian business newspaper Vedomosti.

The images published by the paper showed Russian security forces in body armor and equipped with automatic weapons taking up a position near a highway linking Moscow with southern Russia.

Photographs posted on the Vedomosti Telegram channel show armed and uniformed men on Lipetskaya Street, near the entrance to the M4 highway linking the capital with the cities of Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don.

The photographs also show a helicopter in the sky over the area and a police truck.

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed his private military group fighters have taken control of a Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks at a press conference on June 19.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the “ongoing situation in Russia” on a call with his G7 and European Union counterparts, according to a brief statement released Saturday.

The foreign ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom, plus the EU’s top diplomat, participated in the call.

A State Department spokesperson said that Blinken “reiterated that support by the United States for Ukraine will not change” and that the US “will stay in close coordination with Allies and partners as the situation continues to develop.”

Belarus will remain an ally of Russia, the country’s Security Council said in a statement published by its foreign ministry on Saturday.

According to the statement, the Security Council of Belarus considers any provocation, internal conflict in the military and political circles of Russia, as “a gift to the collective West.”

Belarusian opposition: But while the country’s leadership continues to show support for its Russian neighbors as it has since the war started in February last year, the Belarusian opposition has called on the country’s military to assert its independence.

Valery Sakhashchyk, a member of the joint transitional cabinet of opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, called on the Belarusian military to unite in order to “save the country.”

“I want to address the Belarusian military. We have no one to rely on, but we, united, will definitely cope with this,” he said in a video address from Ukraine.

“We will have time to ask each other questions and complain. Let’s not do it now. Let’s unite the nation, save the motherland, everything else, later,” Sakhashchyk said, urging the Belarusian military to tune in to the radio frequencies of Ukrainian troops. 

Sakhashchyk claimed that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has led the country to a “dead end” and said “now Belarusians must decide what to do next.”

The governor of the Russian region of Kursk, which borders Ukraine, has urged Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin to abandon his plans.

“The Kursk region closely cooperated with the PMC ‘Wagner’ in the training of fighters of voluntary people’s squads of our region, and I myself took this training,” Roman Starovoyt said in a Telegram post.

Wagner should not be forgotten, he said, because “together we rejoiced at the success of the guys when we liberated Soledar and Artemovsk (Russian name for Bakhmut), and mourned together with the families of the fallen soldiers.”

“The ambitions of the leader should not cross out the past merits of ordinary fighters,” Starovoyt added, directly urging Prigozhin “to abandon his plans, lay down his arms and prevent the development of an internal conflict in the country.”

Civilians in the city of Lipetsk, which is north of Voronezh, have been urged to remain at home by their governor, amid unconfirmed reports that Wagner vehicles have been spotted in the region.

“At the moment all authorities and law enforcement agencies are working in a reinforced regime,” Gov. Igor Artamonov said on Telegram.

“The situation is under control, but requires the understanding of every resident of the region,” the post added.

Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, speaks at a conference in 2022.

Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), condemned what he described as an “attempted armed rebellion” in Russia.

Naryshkin said the rebellion is a crime “that cannot be justified by any prior achievements.” 

Naryshkin, who is also chairman of the Russian Historical Society, said the society “calls on fellow citizens to unite around the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin - the guarantor of the Constitution, rights and freedoms - and to support our Army, which, no matter what, holds back the onslaught of the enemy.”

Fighters of Wagner private mercenary group stand guard in a street near the Southern Military Headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed Saturday that Wagner private military contractors entered the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and took control of the Southern Military Headquarters without opening fire.

However, Russian state media reports that several gunshots and an explosion were heard outside the headquarters of the Southern Military District.

Vladimir Rogov, a senior Russian-appointed official in occupied Ukraine, said on Telegram: “The sounds of explosions and shooting at the headquarters of the Southern Military District, most likely, were either a firecracker or an explosive package, they (Wagner) blew it up to scare civilians away from the cordon zone.”

Rogov said Wagner detachments had demanded civilians move 2 kilometers (about 1.2 miles) away from the cordoned-off headquarters.

Rogov also said that in Rostov, the first detachments of Chechen special forces had been seen, “which were transferred to suppress the rebellion.”

There is no independent confirmation that Chechen units have arrived in Rostov.

Here’s where the city is located:

Social media video published early Saturday shows a meeting between Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and two senior Russian military commanders.

The two-minute video shows Prigozhin with the two officers in a courtyard, possibly in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, surrounded by bodyguards. A Telegram channel that has been a reliable source of information about Wagner operations claims the discussion took place at the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District. The exact time of the meeting is unknown, but it is in daylight.

One of the Russian officers is a deputy chief of the Russian General Staff, Lt. Gen Vladimir Alekseev. The other is a Deputy Minister of Defense Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, the former head of the republic of Ingushetia. 

At one point, Prigozhin says to the men, “We will shoot down all of them if you send them.” The context is unclear. 

He appears to address Yevkuorov when he says, “You had no conscience,” accusing the military of opening fire on civilians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that the situation in Rostov is “difficult” and that military and civilian buildings have been blockaded. It is unclear if there have been exchanges of fire there. 

Prigozhin also warns that Wagner’s apparent mutiny may go further.

Little is heard from either Alekseev or Yevkuov in the meeting, and the broader context of what was discussed is not known. The defense ministry in Moscow has not commented on it or any other contacts with Prigozhin.  

On Friday night, Alekseev published a video in which he criticized Wagner’s actions, calling it “a coup d’etat.” 

“What is happening now is a blatant fact of insanity. I cannot explain it in other words. Our country is in the most difficult position right now. When the whole Western world is turned against us. When the shells are coming from the whole world. Such things, that you started to fulfil now under someone’s provocation idea will lead to enormous losses. First of all, enormous political losses. Imagine the enthusiasm that this will be taken with by the West,” Alekseev said in the video. 

Russian National Guard officers patrol outside the Kremlin in Moscow on June 24.

Chaos in the Kremlin couldn’t come at a better time for Ukraine.

What Russian President Vladimir Putin described as an “armed rebellion” by Wagner mercenaries is a godsend for a country that has been preparing for months to launch a counteroffensive aimed at dealing a body-blow to the Russian military.

A video clip widely circulating on social media in Ukraine shows then-actor-now-President Volodymyr Zelensky sitting down in a comfortable chair, popping open a beer and picking up a bowl of popcorn, smiling in anticipation at what, we assume, is a television set.

Late Friday evening as the drama was unfolding in Russia, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry sent out a simple tweet. “We are watching.”

Suddenly, after 16 months of full-scale war, there is something else for Ukrainians to watch – the Russian invaders fighting among themselves.

The word of the day in Ukraine is “schadenfreude” – pleasure felt at another’s misfortune.

Earlier this month Ukraine announced the start of its much-anticipated counteroffensive. Until now the results have been modest—the liberation of eight small villages, 113 square kilometres or 44 square miles of territory, according to the Defense Ministry.

The CNN crew in southern Ukraine was up near the front lines Friday. What we saw was an extensive concentration of troops and weapons (many of them the latest Western weapons systems) and other equipment poised to advance.

Before the offensive has even entered its main phase, however, it is already bearing fruit, according to Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Zelensky.

“The launch of the Ukrainian counteroffensive has finally destabilized the Russian elites, exacerbating the internal split that emerged after the defeat in Ukraine,” he commented in a statement to the media.

Midday in Kyiv, President Zelensky tweeted “the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will have for itself later.”

Those problems, it seems, are mounting by the hour.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks in Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 16.

Russia can no longer hide the “stupidity of its government” as its “weakness” has been exposed amid an insurrection started by Wagner’s chief, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday. 

On Twitter, Zelensky said Moscow’s actions in Ukraine have led it to the chaos it is now engulfed in. 

In the past, Russia hid its weakness behind propaganda, but now that there is such chaos, no lie can hide their “full-scale weakness,” he added.

Zelensky also said the longer Russian troops and mercenaries stayed on Ukrainian soil, the more “chaos, pain, and problems” Russia would have.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba also called on the international community to give the country weapons to end the war with Russia and President Vladimir Putin’s regime in light of the situation with Wagner.

“Time to abandon false neutrality and fear of escalation; give Ukraine all the needed weapons; forget about friendship or business with Russia. Time to put an end to the evil everyone despised but was too afraid to tear down,” he tweeted.  

“Those who said Russia was too strong to lose; look now,” he added.

Yevgeny Prigozhin speaks inside the headquarters of the Russian southern army military command center in the city of Rostov-on-Don, on June 24.

Some Ukrainian officials believe that if the actions of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin against the Kremlin amount to an internal Russian conflict, then it is a “sign of the collapse of the Putin regime.”

“The internal Russian confrontation between the leader of the so-called Wagner PMC Prigozhin and the military and political leadership of the aggressor state is a sign of the collapse of the Putin regime,” according to Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine.

“First of all, we must understand that this is an internal Russian conflict and confrontation which are a direct consequence of the Putin regime’s criminal military aggression against Ukraine,” the representative of the Ukrainian military intelligence said.

Yusov added that Ukraine continues to monitor developments in Russia.

Some context: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed Saturday to have seized control of key military facilities in Rostov and Voronezh, pledging to move on to Moscow if Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and top general Valery Gerasimov, did not meet with him.

Earlier, the official Russian news agency TASS reported that traffic had been blocked on the M-4 highway past Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay.

“All cars moving from Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay are being redirected back in the city, and police checkpoints have been reinforced,” TASS reported.

The head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has called for national unity, urging Wagner fighters under chief Yevgeny Prigozhin “to think again.”

“When the enemies are making every effort to destroy Russia, any attempt to sow discord within the country is the greatest crime that has no justification. As the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, I call on those who, having taken up arms and are ready to use them against their brethren, to think again. I support the efforts of the head of state aimed at preventing unrest in our country,” Patriarch Kirill said in a statement Saturday.

In his address, the patriarch called the Wagner mutiny a “test.” He called on Russians to preserve national unity, as well as to support the soldiers and each other with all their might.

The patriarch has supported Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, saying last March it was an extension of a fundamental culture clash between the wider Russian world and Western liberal values, exemplified by expressions of gay pride.

Experts said Kirill’s comments offered important insights into Putin’s larger spiritual vision of a return to a Russian Empire, in which the Orthodox religion plays a pivotal role.

The Moscow-installed leaders in four Ukrainian regions that Russia claimed to have annexed reiterated their support for Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday as he faces opposition from Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.

“The only true solution to achieve our victory is to consolidate around the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin,” Denis Pushilin, the head of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, said in a statement on Telegram.

The heads of the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, as well as the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, expressed similar support for Putin.

Pushilin said this “difficult stage for Russia” was “particularly painful” for him, given Wagner’s role in capturing “Artemivsk,” the Soviet-era name for Bakhmut, in eastern Ukraine.

“Wagner’s guys sometimes did the impossible,” Pushilin said. But, he said, “confrontations of any kind, both before and now, will never be able to lead to the achievement of our goals.”

The Russian-backed leaders in occupied the Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions reassured their followers on Telegram that the situation in their regions remains “stable.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony in Moscow, Russia, on June 22.

This just does not happen in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Especially in public.

The Russian president is facing the most serious threat to his hold on power in all the 23 years he’s run the nuclear state. And it is staggering to behold the veneer of total control he has maintained all that time – the ultimate selling point of his autocracy – crumble overnight.

It was both inevitable and impossible. Inevitable, as the mismanagement of the war had meant only a system as homogenously closed and immune to criticism as the Kremlin could survive such a heinous misadventure. And impossible as Putin’s critics simply vanish, or fall out of windows, or are poisoned savagely. Yet now the fifth largest army in the world is facing a weekend in which fratricide – the turning of their guns upon their fellow soldiers – is the only thing that can save the Moscow elite from collapse.

So accustomed are we to viewing Putin as a master tactician, that the opening salvos of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s disobedience were at times assessed as a feint – a bid by Putin to keep his generals on edge with a loyal henchman as their outspoken critic. But what we are seeing today – with Putin forced to admit that Rostov-on-Don, his main military hub, is out of his control – puts paid to any idea that this was managed by the Kremlin.

Read the full story here.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks at a conference in London on June 21.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged the Kremlin and Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin “to be responsible and to protect civilians.”

Sunak told the BBC on Saturday that the UK is ” keeping a close eye on the situation as it’s evolving on the ground as we speak.”

“We’re in touch with our allies and, in fact, I’ll be speaking to some of them later today,” he said.

“But the most important thing I’d say is for all parties to be responsible and to protect civilians, and that’s about as much as I can say at this moment,” he added.

Sunak declined to say whether it is good or bad news that Putin is being challenged.

Earlier on Saturday, the UK Ministry of Defence said that the latest developments represent “the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times.”

“Following events overnight involving the Wagner group and the Russian military, we are monitoring the situation carefully and liaising closely with our allies,” Foreign Secretary James Cleverly tweeted.

Emergency responders work to extinguish a burning fuel tank at an oil refinery in Voronezh, Russia, on June 24.

A burning fuel tank at an oil refinery close to the Russian city Voronezh is being extinguished, Governor Alexander Gusev said Saturday.

“In Voronezh, a burning fuel tank is being extinguished at an oil depot on the Dimitrov street. More than 100 firefighters and 30 vehicles are on site. According to the first data, there are no victims,” Gusev said in a statement.

He provided no explanation for the cause of the fire, but several social media videos show at least one military helicopter in the vicinity. As a helicopter flies towards the refinery, there is an explosion and fireball, and thick black smoke rises from the location. 

Fighters of the Wagner private military company had been in the area, according to other geolocated video.

Geolocated footage shows at least two military helicopters in the vicinity, on the outskirts of the city. 

Russian state media outlets have published video of roadblocks around the city of Voronezh, which appears to have been a goal of Wagner units moving northwards from Rostov-on-Don.

Yevgeny Prigozhin attends a funeral in Moscow on April 8.

Yevgeny Prigozhin is the founder and bombastic chief of Russia’s private military group Wagner.

Typically a figure who has operated in the shadows, Prigozhin and his army were thrust into the spotlight following the outbreak of Russia’s war in Ukraine, with his troops playing a key role in the fighting.

He shared Russian President Vladimir Putin’s relatively humble beginnings, growing up in the tougher neighborhood of Saint Petersburg.

Prigozhin has known Putin since the 1990s. He became a wealthy oligarch by winning lucrative catering contracts with the Kremlin, earning him the moniker “Putin’s chef.”

Prigozhin, left, serves food to Putin during a dinner at Prigozhin's restaurant in 2011.

His transformation into a brutal warlord came in the aftermath of the 2014 Russian-backed separatist movements in the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

Prigozhin founded Wagner to be a shadowy mercenary outfit that fought both in eastern Ukraine and, increasingly, for Russian-backed causes around the world.

CNN has tracked Wagner mercenaries in the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, Ukraine and Syria. Over the years they have developed a particularly gruesome reputation and have been linked to various human rights abuses.

It took the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine for Prigozhin and his forces to take center stage. Wagner particularly took the charge in eastern Ukraine and Wagner forces were heavily involved in taking Soledar, a few miles northeast of Bakhmut, and areas around the town.

In recent months, Prigozhin has created a dilemma for Putin by becoming an outspoken critic of Russia’s military leaders.

In May, he announced that his troops would withdraw from the embattled eastern city of Bakhmut – after complained for well over a month of receiving insufficient support from the Kremlin in the grueling fight for the eastern city.

Now, Prigozhin has launched an all-out rebellion against the Kremlin – after his increasingly outrageous outbursts sparked speculation that he could be going too far.

Read more:

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of private military company (PMC) Wagner, has refused to surrender following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s address describing his actions as a betrayal.

Prigozhin said on Telegram that the president is “deeply mistaken.” 

“Regarding the ‘betrayal of the motherland,’ the president is deeply mistaken. We are patriots of our Motherland, we fought and are fighting, all the fighters of the PMC Wagner,” Prigozhin said in audio messages shared by the press service.

“And no one is going to turn themselves in at the request of the president, the FSB or anyone else,” he added.

Prigozhin’s language in the message is in clear defiance of both the Kremlin and security services. Previously, he has been careful not to criticize Putin directly, or challenge his authority.

Prigozhin also returned to a familiar theme, saying that his men are patriots and refuse to perpetuate the “corruption, deceit, and bureaucracy” in which he claims Russia is living.

“When we were told that we were at war with Ukraine, we went and fought. But it turned out that ammunition, weapons, all the money that was allocated is also being stolen, and the bureaucrats are sitting [idly], saving it for themselves, just for the occasion that happened today, when someone [is] marching to Moscow,” he said.

Russian military are carrying out the necessary “combat measures” in the southern Russia city of Voronezh, the region’s governor said.

Alexander Gusev posted a brief update on his Telegram channel, as geolocated videos emerge showing Wagner fighters and vehicles on the move along the M-4 highway that leads to the city of Voronezh from southern Russia.

“As part of the counter-terrorist operation on the territory of the Voronezh region, the armed forces of the Russian Federation are carrying out the necessary operational and combat measures. I will keep you updated as the situation develops,” Gusev said.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is pictured at a meeting chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Pyatigorsk on May 19.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has condemned the actions of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and pledged his support to the Kremlin.

He also spoke of a “vile betrayal” by Prigozhin. 

In a long statement on Telegram, Kadyrov said: “I have repeatedly warned that war is not the time to voice personal grievances and resolve disputes in our rear. The rear must always be calm and reliable. Imagine how the guys in the trenches feel now, in the face of which there is an enemy, and behind their backs a treacherous adventure. We are talking about stability, about the cohesion of the state, about the security of citizens.”

Kadyrov continued: “We have a Supreme Commander-in-Chief, elected by the people, who knows the whole situation to the smallest detail better than any strategist.”

Referring to President Putin’s address to the nation Saturday, he said: “Vladimir Vladimirovich quite rightly noted in his address to the nation – this is a military rebellion! There is no excuse for such actions! I fully support every word of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin!

“What is happening is not an ultimatum to the Ministry of Defense. This is a challenge to the state, and against this challenge it is necessary to rally around the national leader: the military, security forces, governors, and the civilian population.”

Kadyrov’s statement ends: “The rebellion must be crushed, and if this requires harsh measures, then we are ready!”

Some context: Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed Saturday to have seized control of key military facilities in Rostov and Voronezh, pledging to move on to Moscow if Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and top general Valery Gerasimov, did not meet with him.

Earlier, the official Russian news agency TASS reported that traffic had been blocked on the M-4 highway past Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay.

“All cars moving from Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay are being redirected back in the city, and police checkpoints have been reinforced,” TASS reported.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a call for unity in Russia in order to prevent the potential threat of “civil strife.”

“We have one commander in chief [Vladimir Putin]. Not two, not three. One. And he urged everyone to unite,” spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a Telegram post, echoing sentiments expressed by other government officials.

“The enemy is just waiting for our civil strife,” she added.

Zakharova urged the men of Russia to unite despite their differing views. “Behind you are children, women, your parents! Behind you is the country. Behind you is everything that you defend with weapons in your hands. Behind you are the graves of those who did not spare themselves. You are future generations. Hold on and don’t give in.”

Zakharova concluded her message by urging Russians to stand strong.

“Today we are all being tempted, our strength tested. Don’t give in! Together with the President! May God keep us!” she added.

Her words of defiance come as Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed Saturday to have seized control of key military facilities in Rostov and Voronezh, pledging to move on to Moscow if Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and top general Valery Gerasimov did not meet with him.

Rumors of military equipment moving through Russia’s southern city Voronezh amid reports of Wagner fighters also traveling in the region, have been disputed by its governor Alexander Gusev.

“A lot of unreliable information is now being published on social networks about the alleged movement of columns of military equipment through the territory of the Voronezh region,” Gusev said in a statement Saturday.

“The legislation of the Russian Federation provides for liability for the dissemination of such messages,” he added, asking people to only follow information from official sources.

“I also ask the media to take a responsible approach to posting information,” Gusev said.

The Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted its correspondent in Voronezh as saying that “access to the buildings of the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Voronezh is blocked, the police are on duty.”

Motorists on a major highway in southern Russia have been advised to avoid the route, amid reports that convoys of Wagner fighters are using it.

The warning was posted on Telegram by the company Avtodor, which operates Russian highways.

“Drivers, Attention. Please choose routes around the M-4,” the message read.

The M-4 runs north from Rostov to Voronezh and onto Moscow.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed Saturday to have seized control of key military facilities in Rostov and Voronezh, pledging to move on to Moscow if Russia’s Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and top general Valery Gerasimov, did not meet with him.

Earlier, the official Russian news agency TASS reported that traffic had been blocked on the M-4 highway past Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay.

“All cars moving from Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay are being redirected back in the city, and police checkpoints have been reinforced,” TASS reported.

French President Emmanuel Macron is seen at the Presidential Elysee Palace on June 23, in Paris, France.

NATO is “monitoring the situation” in Russia, a spokesperson told CNN Saturday, which the European Union has also said it is “carefully” doing.

“We are following the situation carefully and are in permanent contact with our Ambassador in Moscow and continuing our internal consultations with our Member States,” EU spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Nabila Massrali told CNN.

“What we are witnessing is an internal Russian issue,” Massrali added.

Other European leaders have also commented that they are monitoring the events.

French President Emmanuel Macron is following Russia “closely,” the Elysee Palace said Saturday.

Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas tweeted that they were also following developments and trading information with allies.

“Border security has been strengthened. I also urge our people not to travel to any part of Russia,” she said after assuring they do not face any direct threat.

Similarly, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said they were watching the situation on an “ongoing basis.”

“Due to the situation in Russia, we held consultations this morning with the Prime Minister and the Ministry of National Defense, as well as with the Allies. The course of events beyond our eastern border is monitored on an ongoing basis,” Duda tweeted Saturday.

Meanwhile, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone Saturday morning, Belarusian official news agency reported.

“The Russian president informed his counterpart about the situation in the country,” BELTA said.

Belarus, which shares borders with both Russia and Ukraine, was a key ally to Putin when the war started February last year.

The Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced the introduction of a counter-terrorist operation regime in Moscow, the Moscow region and Voronezh region.

According to Russian state media, this is the first time that the counter-terrorist regime has been announced in these regions. 

The measures were announced as the head of the Wagner private military group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was accused of mounting an armed revolt against the Russian state. 

The counter-terrorist regime includes, but is not limited to:

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that those on the “path of treason” or armed rebellion will be “punished” after the head of the Wagner paramilitary group said his troops had taken control of military facilities in two Russian cities, plunging the country into crisis.

Here are some of the key lines from Putin’s address:

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wagner’s “betrayal” and “any actions that fracture our unity,” are “a stab in the back of our country and our people.”

Putin called Wagner actions “internal treachery,” saying that “all kinds of political adventurers and foreign forces, who divided the country and tore it apart, profited from their own interests. We will not let this happen again. We will protect both our people and our statehood from any threats, including internal treachery.”

Fighters of Wagner private mercenary group are in Rostov, Russia, on June 24, 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address Saturday, “the situation in Rostov-on-Don remains difficult during the armed uprising.”

“In Rostov, the work of civil and military administration is basically blocked,” Putin said. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a televised address in Moscow, Russia, June 24.

Russian President Vladimir Putin appealed to Wagner forces in an address Saturday.

“I appeal to those pushed into the provocation of a military rebellion,” he said.

Putin added that at this time, “we require unity, consolidation, and responsibility.”

The Russian President said, “any internal turmoil is a deadly threat to our statehood for us as a nation; it is a blow to Russia for our people and our actions to protect our homeland. Such a threat will face a severe response.”

A fighter of Wagner private mercenary group stands guard in a street in Rostov, Russia, June 24, 

The simmering conflict between Moscow’s military leadership and Yevgeny Prigozhin, the bombastic chief of private mercenary group Wagner, has dramatically escalated into an open insurrection that plunges Russia into renewed uncertainty.

Moscow’s mayor said the capital is reinforcing security as Prigozhin claimed to have seized control of key military facilities in the Russian cities of Rostov and Voronezh Saturday.

Here’s the latest:

Russia’s Ministry of Defense appealed to Wagner forces to “safely return to their points of permanent deployment” on Saturday, after the private mercenary group’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed to have taken control of military facilities in two Russian cities.  

“Many of your comrades from several squads have already realized their mistake by asking for help in ensuring the ability to safely return to their points of permanent deployment,” the statement said. 

“Such assistance from our side has already been provided to all the fighters and commanders who applied,” it continued. 

The Ministry of Defense said it would “guarantee everyone’s safety.”

The Wagner paramilitary group claimed Saturday it had taken control of Russian military facilities in the Russian city of Voronezh.

Earlier on Saturday, Wager chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said he was at the military headquarters in Rostov and that the local airfield was under his force’s control.

Russian security forces have cordoned off the building of the Wagner Center in St. Petersburg, according to Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti.

Videos circulating on Telegram channels of the Wagner group show security personnel at the headquarters in St. Petersburg and a cordon around the building.

Russia’s Defense Ministry told reporters on Friday that claims “the information spread on social networks” about a Russian strike on a Wagner military camp “is false,” according to Russian state media.

The Russian Defense Ministry also said the Russian Armed Forces continue to carry out combat missions on the line of contact with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Some context: Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is the chief of private military group Wagner, accused Russian forces of striking a Wagner military camp and killing a “a huge amount” of his fighters, in a series of Telegram messages on Friday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a government meeting in Moscow, on June 20.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will address the nation “soon,” according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, state media outlet TASS reported.

The news follows claims the Wagner mercenary group has taken military control of a Russian city.

Fighters of Wagner private mercenary group stand guard in a street near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said his forces have control of military facilities in Rostov-on-Don and control of the airfield there.

“We are at headquarters at 7:30 a.m. Military facilities in Rostov, including the airfield are under [our] control,” Prigozhin said in a video posted on the Wagner official Telegram channel.

Prigozhin said he is in Rostov-on-Don and his men are not stopping the officers from carrying out their duties. 

“The main headquarters, the main control point is working as normal, there are no problems. No officers have been cut off,” Prigozhin said. 

CNN cannot independently verify his claims.

The fact that Russia’s domestic intelligence agency the Federal Security Service (FSB) opened a criminal case against Yevgeny Prigozhin suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned on the Wagner chief, a former CIA officer said.

Prigozhin “knows precisely what his risk is… which is kind of interesting when you think about it, because that means he must have calculated that he can pull this off,” Hall said.

“A guy like Prigozhin knows what the risks are and knows that if it doesn’t go well for him, it’s going to go really badly,” he added.

Video released by the Wagner group on its official Telegram channel reportedly shows its chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

The video was posted on Saturday morning.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “should be very nervous” after Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed his troops were moving against Russia’s military leadership, former US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor said.

Russia’s FSB security service accused Prigozhin of calling for an “armed rebellion” when he vowed retaliation after claiming Moscow’s military killed a “huge amount” of his mercenaries in a strike on a camp.

“He’s probably watching very carefully. He should be very nervous. He’s got big problems here. He’s got the military that is now diverting its attention to one of its own, to Prigozhin, to the Wagner group,” Taylor told CNN.

Taylor said it was a “very important” moment for Ukraine.

The governor of Voronezh oblast, in southwestern Russia, said that “a convoy of military equipment is moving along the M-4 Don Federal Highway.”

The M-4 is a highway connecting Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don. Voronezh is directly north of the Rostov region, where Yevgeny Prigozhin said his Wagner fighters were approaching the city of Rostov.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has said that Russian Guards and military police are joining the Wagner group.

In an audio recording from Prigozhin Saturday and translated by CNN, he claimed that, “Where soldiers meet us, the Russian Guards and military police, they wave their hands cheerfully.” 

The Wagner chief claimed in the recording that between 60 and 70 soldiers from the Russian military have joined Wagner forces.

CNN cannot independently verify the claims.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, arrives during a funeral ceremony at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery in Moscow, Russia, on April 8.

Yevgeny Prigozhin is the chief of Russia’s private mercenary group Wagner, which has been at the forefront of much of the fighting in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Prigozhin has known Russian President Vladimir Putin since the 1990s. He became a wealthy oligarch by winning lucrative catering contracts with the Kremlin, earning him the moniker “Putin’s chef.”

His transformation into a brutal warlord came in the aftermath of the 2014 Russian-backed separatist movements in the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

Prigozhin founded Wagner to be a shadowy mercenary outfit that fought both in eastern Ukraine and, increasingly, for Russian-backed causes around the world.

CNN has tracked Wagner mercenaries in the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, Ukraine and Syria. Over the years they have developed a particularly gruesome reputation and have been linked to various human rights abuses.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: Prigozhin’s political star rocketed in Russia after Moscow’s full invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

While many regular Russian troops saw setbacks on the battlefield, Wagner fighters seemed to be the only ones capable of delivering tangible progress.

Known for its disregard for the lives of its own soldiers, the Wagner group’s brutal and often lawless tactics are believed to have resulted in high numbers of casualties, as new recruits are sent into battle with little formal training – a process described by retired United States Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling as “like feeding meat to a meat grinder.”

Prigozhin has used social media to lobby for what he wants and often feuded with Russia’s military leadership, casting himself as competent and ruthless in contrast to the military establishment.

Disagreements with Russian leadership: His disagreements with Russia’s top brass exploded into the public domain during the grim and relentless battle for Bakhmut during which he repeatedly accused the military leadership of failing to supply his troops with enough ammunition.

Putin presides over what is often described as a court system, where infighting and competition among elites is in fact encouraged to produce results, as long as the “vertical of power” remains loyal to and answers to the head of state.

But Prigozhin’s increasingly outrageous outbursts have sparked speculation in recent weeks that even he could be going too far.

Read more here.

An armored personnel carrier (APC) is seen on a street of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia June 24.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Russian private military group Wagner, on Friday accused Russia’s military leadership of killing a “huge amount” of his mercenary forces in a strike on a camp.

And he vowed to retaliate. “Many dozens, tens of thousands of lives, of Russian soldiers will be punished,” Prigozhin said. “I ask that nobody put up any resistance.”

In a later Telegram post, Prigozhin said that his criticism of the military leadership was a “march of justice” and not a coup. 

His comments prompted Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) to launch a criminal case, accusing the mercenary force’s chief of calling for “armed rebellion,” the state news agency TASS reported.

Here’s the latest on the situation unfolding in Russia:

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said Saturday his units were hit by a helicopter on a highway and threatened to “destroy everything” in his way, in an audio message posted on his Telegram channel.

It’s unclear exactly where the units were.

CNN is unable to verify these claims and any video evidence of this.

Prigozhin also said his units are “ready to die.” 

This comes as Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Saturday in a Telegram post that “in connection with the incoming information, antiterrorist measures are being taken in Moscow aimed at strengthening security measures.” 

“Additional control on the roads has been introduced. Limitations on holding the public events are possible,” Sobyanin added. 

Various police on duty near presidential administration as the road is being cordoned off in Moscow, Russia, on June 24.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin says that “anti-terrorist measures” are being carried out in the city as a result of “incoming information,” according to an update on his Telegram group.

The measures include “additional control on the roads” and “limitations on holding public events.”

US officials determined as early as January that there was an internal power struggle underway between the mercenary Wagner Group and the Russian government, and have been gathering and closely monitoring intelligence on the volatile dynamic ever since.

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine stalled earlier this year, top American officials said they saw indications of tension between the Kremlin and the Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. They said they believed those tensions would mount over the coming months.

Officials said their assessments of the situation derived from intelligence, an indication of how seriously the White House and Pentagon took the potential for a power struggle to cause further instability in the ongoing conflict.

In January, a top White House official said Wagner was becoming a “rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian militaries.”

Officials suggested at the time that Prigozhin was working to advance his own interests in Ukraine instead of the broader Russian objectives. 

The Wagner Group, which the West claimed had recruited prison convicts for fighting in Ukraine, was making decisions based on “what they will generate for Prigozhin, in terms of positive publicity,” John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, said in January.

Since then, White House and other US national security aides have been highly attuned to what one official said was an “ongoing battle” between Prigozhin and the Russian defense ministry. 

Read more here.

Armoured vehicles are seen on a street of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the private military group Wagner, said his fighters are entering the Russian Rostov region, which neighbors Ukraine.

“Now we are entering Rostov. The units of the Ministry of Defense, or rather the conscripts, who were thrown to block our road, stepped aside,” Prigozhin said, adding that at the moment his units “have crossed the state border in all places.”

Prigozhin also accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov of “making a decision to destroy the disobedient units (of Wagner PMC) that are ready to protect their Motherland.” 

Prigozhin warned against anyone obstructing him: “We will destroy everything that gets in our way,” he said.

The Wagner chief’s statement comes as Russian state media TASS reported a stepped-up police presence in Rostov late Friday.

CNN cannot independently verify these claims.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine’s presidential administration, reacted on Friday to the frenzy surrounding the Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his latest claims against Russia’s military leadership.

In a tweet posted in English, Podolyak said: “Tumultuous times are coming.”

The word Oprichniki refers to members of the bodyguard troops established by Ivan the Terrible, which terrorized people who opposed the tsar.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during a ceremony, marking the Day of Remembrance and Sorrow, June 22, in Moscow.

President Vladimir Putin is aware “of the situation unfolding around Yevgeny Prigozhin,” Russian state media TASS said Friday, referring to the leader of the Wagner Group.

He is also aware that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) initiated a criminal case accusing the mercenary force’s chief of calling for “armed rebellion” on Friday, TASS reported.

According to TASS, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said the allegations spread by Prigozhin “have no basis.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said Putin is aware of the situation and “all necessary measures are being taken,” according to state media RIA Novosti. 

Some context. Prigozhin on Friday accused Russian military leadership of striking a Wagner military camp and killing a “huge amount” of his mercenary forces. Prigozhin claimed that the Russian Ministry of Defense tricked Wagner and he vowed to “respond to these atrocities.” 

Prigozhin and Wagner have played a prominent role in the Ukraine war, and the leader has repeatedly and publicly feuded with Russia’s defense heads over what he said was a lack of ammunition, at one point recording a video of him lashing out while standing in front of what he claimed were dead bodies of his fighters.

Yevgeny Prigozhin is seen in Moscow in April.

The chief of the Wagner private military group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on Friday accused Russian military leadership of striking a Wagner military camp and killing a “huge amount” of his mercenary forces.

Prigozhin claimed that the Russian Ministry of Defense tricked Wagner and he vowed to “respond to these atrocities.” 

“They saw that we weren’t broken and they launched strikes on our camps. A huge amount of our fighters were killed, our comrades in arms. We will make a decision about how to respond to these atrocities. The next step is ours,” he continued, alleging that “they wiped out dozens.”

Russia’s Ministry of Defense denied the allegation in a Telegram post Friday, calling the messages and videos spreading on social networks on behalf of Prigozhin about the event “untrue” and “an informational provocation.”

Prigozhin claimed that the “evil that is being carried out” by Russia’s military leadership “must be stopped” following the alleged attack. “They disregard the lives of soldiers, they have forgotten the word ‘justice,’” Prigozhin said in the voice recording. 

“The details started to appear; Minister of Defense arrived to Rostov especially to conduct an operation to destroy Wagner PMC. He used artillerymen and helicopter pilots undercover to destroy us,” Prigozhin added. 

Prigozhin vows retaliation: “Many dozens, tens of thousands of lives, of Russian soldiers will be punished,” Prigozhin said. “I ask that nobody put up any resistance. Those who show such resistance, we will consider it a threat and destroy them immediately. This includes any roadblocks standing in our way, any aircraft seen over our heads.”

He asked people to stay at home and “remain calm, not to be provoked.”

In a later Telegram post, Prigozhin said that by criticizing Russian military leadership, he is carrying out a “march of justice” and not a “military coup,” alleging that a majority of Russian service members support Wagner.  

“Finally, you will make them supply us with ammunition and make them stop using us as cannon fodder,” Prigozhin added.

More background: Earlier on Friday, Prigozhin furthered his ongoing dispute with military leaders in a highly critical video interview where he said Moscow invaded Ukraine under false pretenses devised by the Russian Ministry of Defense, and that Russia is actually losing ground on the battlefield.

And earlier this month, the Wagner boss said he won’t sign contracts with Russia’s defense ministry, rejecting an attempt to bring his force in line. His comments came after an announcement by the Russian Ministry of Defense that “volunteer units” and private military groups would be required to sign a contract with the ministry.

Prigozhin and Wagner have played a prominent role in the Ukraine war. In May he said his troops had capture Bakhmut in a costly and largely symbolic gain for Russia.

The Wagner chief has previously criticized Russia’s traditional military hierarchy, blaming Russian defense chiefs for “tens of thousands” of casualties and stating that divisions could end in a “revolution.”

He also accused Russian military leaders “sit like fat cats” in “luxury offices,” while his fighters are “dying,” and later accused the Russian Defense Ministry of trying to sabotage his troops’ withdrawal from Bakhmut, claiming the ministry laid mines along the exit routes.

CNN’s Katharina Krebs, Lindsay Isaac, Uliana Pavlova, Radina Gigova, Josh Pennington contributed reporting to this post.