Prigozhin leaves Southern Military District headquarters in Rostov. Wagner soldiers allegedly return to their field camps. Timeline of events

Espreso.TV monitored the situation in real time: scroll down to the bottom of the main story to see the chronology of events

Where the rebels managed to get to

On Saturday, 24 June 2023, in addition to the central part of Rostov-on-Don, where they had encamped around the headquarters of the Southern Military District on the evening of 23 June, the Wagner soldiers also took control of Voronezh. Their columns, diverted from the border with Ukraine, were moving towards Moscow. Shoigu's military aviation and artillery tried to stop them, but to no avail.

The last time the advanced units of the Wagner PMC were spotted was in the Lipetsk region of the Russian Federation. And in the Russian capital itself, firing points were being built at the entrance, trenches were being dug, and all security forces were being mobilised.

As Prigozhin himself stated in a short evening address, his men were 200 kilometres away from Moscow.

Prigozhin's position: why he stopped

"They wanted to disband Wagner's PMC. We went out on 23 June for a “march of justice”. In one day, 200 kilometres to Moscow were left for us. During this time, we did not shed a single drop of blood. Now the moment has come when blood may be shed. Therefore, realising the full responsibility for the fact that Russian blood will be shed by one of the parties, we are turning our columns around and heading back to the field camps according to the plan," said Prigozhin.

What remains unclear

Prigozhin started the mutiny because, as he claimed, he was outraged by what he saw as the poor organisation of Russia's military operations against Ukraine and the theft of resources allocated to it. This, in Prigozhin's opinion, was the reason for the failure of the war against the Ukrainian army.

However, it is not clear what awaits Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russia's Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, as their resignation and punishment was the number one demand of the rebels. Neither Shoigu nor Gerasimov are mentioned in Prigozhin's audio commentary, nor in the statement of the press service of Alexander Lukashenko, who mediated the negotiations between the Kremlin and the Wagner PMC.

"At the moment, there is an absolutely favourable and acceptable solution to the situation on the table, with security guarantees for the Wagner PMC fighters," Lukashenko's press service said.

The timeline of events:

7:21 pm: Wagner soldiers open fire at the entrance to the Rostelecom building in Rostov-on-Don.

7:13 pm: In Saratov, locals publish a video of a military convoy.

7:04 pm: Five Il-76 military transport aircraft from Russia have arrived in Belarus. They landed empty.

6:43 pm: According to Russian media, the Kremlin is preparing to declare martial law.

6:07 pm: The Belarusian Foreign Ministry says the country remains an ally of Russia and shares the "goals and objectives" of the war in Ukraine.

5:55 pm: According to the Lipetsk city administration, the entrances to the city are blocked in two directions - from Chaplygin and Lebedyana.

 

5:46 pm: In a telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin amid the uprising in Russia, Turkish President Recep Erdogan expresses his readiness to contribute to a quick resolution of the situation.

5:44 pm: Kalinowski's regiment called on the Belarusian military not to interfere in the civil war in Russia. He also called on Belarusians to be ready for decisive action.

5:43 pm: Vladimir Putin asks Alexander Lukashenko to send him fighters from the Belarusian Special Operations Forces.

"Putin called Lukashenko with a request to send fighters to suppress the uprising, who have already shown the effectiveness of fighting Wagner soldiers in 2020. If Lukashenka is involved, it will be "hot" in our country. The karma for 2020 may come from places where it was not expected," said Belarusian oppositionist Tsepkalo.

5:39 pm : Wagner PMCs in Rostov are already disarming Kadyrov's men and taking them prisoner.

5:38 pm: According to Russian media, the Russian leadership is discussing the possibility of recognising the Wagner PMC as an extremist and terrorist organisation.

 

4:59 pm: Train stations in Rostov-on-Don are crowded.

 

4:49 pm: Russian billionaire Arkady Rotenberg, who is a close friend of Vladimir Putin, has flown to Azerbaijan as Prigozhin's "march on Moscow" begins.

 

4:22 pm: Russian media report that Wagner soldiers have taken control of the village of Krasnoe in the Lipetsk region of Russia, which is on the way to Moscow.

 

4:07 pm: At the entrance to Moscow.

3:55 pm: Opponents and supporters of the Wagner forces are fighting near the headquarters of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation in Rostov-on-Don.

3:54 pm: Fighters of anti-Putin Russian Volunteer Corps militia called for taking advantage of the situation in Russia.

3:50 pm: Wagner soldiers are preparing to seize nuclear arsenal in Voronezh region - Atesh movement.

It is noted that the advanced detachments of the PMC have reached the outskirts of Borisoglebsk, Voronezh region, where the nuclear weapons depot is located.

It is likely that Russia will not be able to defend the warehouse on its own, as it needs a significant number of tanks, artillery and motorised professional infantry.

 

3:30 pm: According to the BBC, Wagner fighters have taken control of the main facilities in the city of Voronezh.

3:27 pm: Kadyrov's men continue to move on Rostov.

3:25 pm: According to Russian media, machine gun emplacements are being set up at the entrance to Moscow.

2:58 pm: Prigozhin says that people greet them as liberators.

"We did not kill a single person on the way. We seized the headquarters building in Rostov without firing a single shot. We did not interfere with the work of a single person. There are people on the street with PMC flags. In grocery stores, the guys are offered not to pay for their purchases," he said.

 

2:55 pm: According to Ukrainian intelligence, Moscow is practically isolated by Russian law enforcement and military units.

 

2:46 pm: According to press secretary Peskov, Putin is currently in the Kremlin. At the same time, there were reports that the Russian president's plane had taken off from Moscow.

According to Flyradar, Putin's plane flew to St Petersburg

2:43 pm: A column of Kadyrov’s fighters is approaching Rostov-on-Don.

Several kilometers long convoy of Kadyrov's fighters is heading for Rostov, local media report. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has deployed Akhmat special forces to eliminate Wagner mercenaries.

2:01 pm: An explosion has been reported in Rostov near the Southern Military District (SMD), which was seized by Wagner mercenaries.

1:56 pm: Russian propaganda media report that a Russian Defense Ministry Mi-8 helicopter has made a hard landing in the Voronezh region. One person was reportedly injured in the crash.

1:53 pm: A video of the attack on the oil depot in Voronezh has been posted online.

1:43 pm: Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev had a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin amid the coup in Russia, during which he called the events in Russia its "internal affair."

1:41 pm: Putin had a phone conversation with the presidents of Belarus, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan. He briefed the leaders on the situation in Russia.

1:31 pm: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the civil revolt in Russia and called on Ukrainians to remain resilient, strong and united.

 

1:35 pm: One of the commanders of Belarusian volunteers in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valery Sakhashchyk, who is also a member of Svetlana Tikhanovskaya's Joint Transitional Cabinet for Defense and National Security, addressed the Belarusian people on June 24, 2023. He emphasized that Prigozhin's military coup against Putin and the actual outbreak of civil war within Russia represents a unique chance for Belarusians.

"The pro-Russian path that Lukashenko has been leading the country on all these years has led us to a dead end. We are now standing on the road, with a lowered barrier and a 'dead end' sign in front of us. We have to decide what to do next, and we have to decide quickly," explained Valery Sakhashchyk.

He urged the Belarusians to seize the chance and become a successful European country.

 

1:15 pm: Russian media publish a video of tanks moving toward Moscow on the M4 highway in the Lipetsk region.

1:09 pm: A photo of a burning oil depot in Voronezh circulates online.

12:53 pm: Videos of a convoy of Wagner PMC vehicles entering Voronezh have been posted online. The number of personnel driving in tented trucks is about 4,000 people.

 

12:50 pm: Russian media report that Wagner PMC convoys passed through the town of Buturlinovka, Voronezh region, and seized a military airfield. The convoy includes Chekan armored vehicles, KAMAZ trucks with S-60 weapons, T-72B3 tanks of the 2022 model, and the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun system. One of the systems shot down a Russian AN-26 transport aircraft less than an hour ago, killing all the passengers and crew.

 

12:46 pm: Prigozhin says Wagner mercenaries have shot down 3 Russian helicopters.

11:03 am: The AP Wagner channel reported that Putin had made the wrong choice.

"So much the worse for him. Soon we will have a new president," the message reads.

10:28 am: Putin orders Russian armed forces to neutralize instigators of armed rebellion

10:26 am: Reuters , citing a source in the Russian security services, reported that Wagner's PMC militants have taken control of all military facilities in Voronezh. Reuters has not been able to independently confirm these claims.

9:29 am: The Russian Ministry of Defense addressed Wagner PMC fighters.

"You have been deceived into Prigozhin's criminal venture and participation in an armed rebellion," the statement reads.

Many of the Wagner fighters have allegedly already realized their mistake and asked for help in ensuring that they can safely return to their permanent locations. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, this assistance has allegedly already been provided.

 

9:10 am: The Russian ministry also urged them to get in touch with the ministry’s representatives or law enforcement officials as soon as possible.

At around 9 am, a counterterrorism operation was introduced in Moscow city, Moscow and Voronezh regions to stop possible terrorist attacks.

 

8:09 am: A video appeared with Prigozhin in Rostov-on-Don. In the video, he claims that Wagner PMC are present at the headquarters of the Southern Military District as of 07:30 am and have seized control of various military installations in Rostov-on-Don, including the airport and sanitary ports.

"Everything we are doing is to ensure that attack aircraft do not strike at us, but at the Ukrainians," Prigozhin said.

 

8:00 am: In a previous video, Prigozhin is at the headquarters of the Southern Military District (MD), where he sets forth conditions for the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry. Among his demands, he states that Wagner PMC demands the chief of the Russian General Staff be handed over to them and says that his group came to Rostov-on-Don to save Russia.

 

7:15 am: In a morning address, at around 7 am, Prigozhin said that 60 to 70 soldiers have joined him so far, and "half of the army" is ready to do so.

"The fighting is happening in places where the military leadership gives false information to the soldiers, and that's why there are clashes. The soldiers we encounter, including the Russian Guard and the police, excitedly wave their hands and say, ‘We want to join you.’”

 

5:58 am: At around 6 am, the VCHK-OGPU Telegram channel reported, "A number of Defense Ministry units that took part in the war are coming under Wagner's command. Entire corps. Shoigu and Gerasimov's people are being removed.”

 

5:56 am: The state-owned Russian propaganda media outlet TASS officially recognized the armed military who surrounded the administrative buildings in Rostov as Wagner PMC fighters.

 

5:56 am: A new videos have appeared showing the current situation around the headquarters of the Russian Air Defense (Southern Military District) in Rostov.

 

5:21 am: Prigozhin stated, “On the Moscow highway, one of the assault units came under fire from helicopters. Wagner PMC unit has all its members intact, the helicopter was destroyed. We will not be eliminated, we have a goal, we are ready to die for it, all 25,000 of us are dying for our homeland, for the Russian people.”