As Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin heads for exile, the uprising that brought Russia to the brink of civil war seems to be over…for now.
In an extraordinary 24-hour chaos, the mercenary leader had come within 125 miles of Moscow after taking a major city and key military sites in a lightning-fast advance.
While Prigozhin boasted that his men were “ready to die” for their cause, Russian troops armed with machine guns, tanks and helicopters rushed to the capital to meet the onslaught.
But the surprise attack was called off – the warlord suddenly retreated after making an 11-hour deal with the Kremlin.
Despite the abrupt end, the military coup is destined to go down in history as the greatest threat ever faced by Vladimir Putin during his rule.
In an extraordinary 24-hour chaos, the mercenary had come within 125 miles of Moscow. In the photo: a member of the Wagner group stands guard today in Rostov-on-Don with a machine gun
Russian troops armed with machine guns, tanks and helicopters rushed to the capital to face the attack
The dramatic events were set in motion with an explosive video of Prigozhin calling for an armed uprising late Friday.
It came amid escalating tensions between the warlord and Russian generals who had tried to neutralize him by ordering his men to enlist in the regular army.
In a direct challenge to the Kremlin, the rebel leader boasted that he had 50,000 fighters ready to fight the Russian army and called on ordinary soldiers to join them.
Dressed in military gear, he described the action as a “march for justice” against top leaders, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Shortly after midnight, his men were reported to have crossed the Russian border into Ukraine in multiple locations and soon marched toward Rostov-on-Don.
The main southern city is 60 miles from the border with Ukraine, where Wagner served alongside Russian troops.
Dressed in military uniforms, he described the move as a “march for justice” against the top, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Shortly after midnight, his men were said to have crossed the Russian border into Ukraine in multiple locations and soon marched to Rostov-on-Don. Pictured: A local resident walks past members of the Wagner group in Rostov-on-Don
In response, the Kremlin opened a criminal case against Prigozhin, labeling him a “foreign agent” who had sparked an “armed uprising.”
‘Operation Fortress’ – in which all soldiers must be ‘fully ready’ – had meanwhile been activated in Rostov and Moscow.
At 01:00 Russian forces were on high alert and soldiers, armored trucks and military helicopters were deployed to key locations.
Photos showed soldiers setting up machine gun nests as Putin signed a law allowing people to be detained for up to 30 days.
Around 2am, residents of Rostov were told to lock down their homes as terrified people resorted to panic to buy food.
Around this time Wagner’s chief claimed his troops had shot down a Russian helicopter which ‘opened fire on a civilian convoy’ – but no further details were given.
At 3 a.m., officials in Russia’s Voronezh region urged residents to avoid the M4 north-south highway, which connects Moscow to the south, due to a military convoy.
The day began with the warlord’s announcement that he had taken Rostov-on-Don. At 5:30 a.m. Saturday, he said the headquarters of Russia’s southern military district had been taken “without firing a single shot” and claimed that up to 70 Russian soldiers had joined them.
The Kremlin’s Defense Ministry issued a statement calling on fighters to abandon Prigozhin, saying they have been “cheated and dragged into a criminal adventure.”
Standing between Russian flags in an 8am TV address, Putin admitted it was a “complicated situation” and that the rebels had taken control of military sites in Rostov. He warned of “unavoidable punishment” for those responsible.
By 09:00, roads to Moscow were blocked while sandbags and ditches were built to slow the rebel advance.
Sources suggested that Wagner had taken control of military sites in Voronezh, a town halfway between Rostov and the capital, Moscow.
Putin stood between Russian flags in a TV speech at 8am and admitted it was a ‘complicated situation’
It was said that they met some resistance with gunfire and explosions.
Shortly before 11 a.m., Prigozhin responded to Putin’s statement, saying he was “deeply mistaken” in calling him and his forces traitors, adding that his men would not surrender.
Later in the morning, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov supported Putin, revealing that his fighters were already moving towards the “zones of tension.” He added: “The uprising must be put down.”
Over lunch, authorities in the Lipetsk region confirmed that the rebels were transporting “equipment” across the region – less than 400 kilometers from Moscow.
At 2:16 p.m., one of Putin’s planes took off from Moscow, apparently bound for St. Petersburg. But the Kremlin denied reports that he had fled the capital.
A string of private jets also departed from Moscow, while tickets for commercial flights outside the city sold out as British nationals were urged to leave for fear of violent clashes.
Later in the morning, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured) supported Putin and revealed that his fighters were already moving towards the ‘tension zones’
Oligarchs, including Arkady Rotenberg and Russia’s richest man Vladimir Potanin, reportedly took off from Moscow for Azerbaijan and Turkey on private jets.
By 3:00 PM, the two-mile rebel convoy had managed to pass through the town of Voronezh and later reach the town of Yelets.
Shortly before 4:30 p.m., Moscow declared Monday a “non-working day” and announced powers to restrict freedom of movement, monitor communications, conduct searches and even make forced evacuations.
The conflict was greeted warmly in Kiev, with Ukrainian forces believed to have taken full advantage of the chaos by stepping up their attacks along the front line in northern Bakhmut.
As the chaos unfolded, President Volodymyr Zelensky tweeted: “For a long time, Russia used propaganda to mask its weakness and the stupidity of its government. And now there is so much chaos that no lie can hide it.”
An adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister said they were “running out of popcorn” as they kept a close eye on the uprising.
Ukraine claimed it had liberated an area near Krasnohorivka in southwest Donetsk a week ago, which had been under Russian control since 2014.
The victory was kept secret until Saturday for “tactical reasons”. But in a shocking twist, Prigozhin stopped the attack after reaching a truce with Putin.
His army was only 200 kilometers from Moscow when he ordered it to halt at 6:30 p.m.
“We reached less than 200 km from Moscow in 24 hours, without wasting a single drop of our fighters’ blood.
“Now the time has come when blood can be shed,” said Prigozhin. It came after Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko struck a last-minute deal that saw the Kremlin drop plans to abolish the Wagner military company.
The deal also included plans for Prigozhin to move to Belarus and criminal charges against him and his men were dropped.
At around 8:30 PM, the Wagner forces began to leave Rostov and were reported to have completely withdrawn by 11:00 PM.