In just over a day, events escalated and then de-escalated quickly as Wagner mercenaries launched a rebellion and then swiftly halted it. Here’s a quick look at how events unfolded:
Friday
- Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin launches a rant blaming Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu for the war in Ukraine, claiming he did it to gain military honours
- Prigozhin later vows to “march for justice” and accuses the Kremlin of hitting his troops with a missile strike on Friday
- Security is stepped up in Moscow late on Friday after Prigozhin called for an armed rebellion
Saturday
- Prigozhin declares 25,000 of his troops have crossed the border from Ukraine in the early hours of the morning
- Moscow’s mayor announces anti-terrorist measures are being taken to reinforce security and in Rostov-on-Don, close to the Ukraine border, residents are told to stay inside
- Shortly before 06:00 BST video appears online showing Prigozhin inside Russia’s southern military headquarters
- Russian President Vladimir Putin denounces the “criminal adventure” and warns of punishments in a TV address at around 08:00
- Over the course of the day, Wagner forces make progress up the M4 motorway towards Moscow, including seizing military facilities in Voronezh
- Just before 18:30, Prigozhin says on his Telegram channel that he has agreed to “stop” the movement of his troops
- Belarus reveals its leader, Alexander Lukashenko, had been holding talks with Prigozhin and Putin had agreed to the conversation
- At around 21:00 Russian state media reports that Prigozhin will leave for Belarus, and that criminal charges against him and his troops will be dropped
Source: BBC
