In a startling turn of events, a group of mutinous Russian mercenaries made rapid progress towards Moscow on Saturday, seizing a southern city overnight. Despite Russia's military launching air strikes against them, the mutineers' lightning advance appeared unstoppable, challenging President Vladimir Putin's grip on power in his 23-year rule. Putin vowed to crush the armed mutiny, drawing parallels to Russia's Civil War a century ago. The rebel fighters, associated with the Wagner private army led by former Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin, were already nearing the capital after capturing Rostov and embarking on an 1,100 km (680 mile) race to Moscow.- Source- Reuters
Witnesses reported seeing troop carriers and a flatbed truck carrying a tank racing past the city of Voronezh, more than halfway to Moscow. Despite a helicopter firing upon them, there were no reports of the rebels encountering significant resistance along the highway.
Russian media outlets displayed images of small police groups manning machine gun positions on Moscow's southern outskirts. Authorities in the Lipetsk region, south of the capital, instructed residents to stay home. Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, appealed to people to minimize travel within the city, as a counter-terrorism operation had been declared and described the situation as "difficult."
Sobyanin further announced that Monday would be a non-working day for most, aimed at minimizing risks. Enhanced security measures were evident on the streets, and Red Square was barricaded with metal barriers.
Meanwhile, a massive fire engulfed a fuel depot in Voronezh, with over 100 firefighters battling the flames. Video footage captured the depot exploding in a fireball shortly after a helicopter flew by. Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner private army, accused Russia's military of deliberately targeting civilian sites from the air in an attempt to impede the rebels' progress.
Prigozhin asserted that his fighters were engaged in a "march for justice" to eliminate corrupt and incompetent commanders, whom he held responsible for the mishandling of the war in Ukraine.
During a televised address from the Kremlin, President Putin expressed the view that Russia's very existence was under threat. He stated, "We are fighting for the lives and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence, for the right to remain Russia, a state with a thousand-year history." Putin warned that those involved in betrayal, armed insurrection, blackmail, or terrorist methods would face inevitable punishment and be held accountable before the law and the Russian people.
Later, Putin signed a law tightening rules for breaking martial law in regions where it has been imposed, as reported by the RIA news agency. The move is indicative of the government's determination to maintain control and restore stability in the face of the mutinous uprising.