09:24
Former CIA chief: “Wagner was 60-90 minutes from Moscow when I stopped”
“I think the vanguard of the group was 60-90 minutes from Moscow. Not the whole force, less than 5,000, but I was watching the reactions of all the security forces to see if they were still loyal to Putin: the army, the air force, the special forces, the national guard.” In Rosgvardiya, the ‘FSB, the forces of the Interior Ministry, the Kremlin and Chechnya, in short, the group of elements controlled by the siloviki, the leaders of the security establishment. If some of them had supported the Wagner Group, a real civil war would have broken out“. General David Petraeus, the former head of the CIA, said this in an interview with Corriere della Sera. Now the situation is very confusing. But Prigozhin probably got scared and realized that he forced Putin to direct all forces against him. “I think Wagner herself was involved in this. This work only 48 hours ago. Prigozhin’s tendency thus far had been to preserve autonomy but also to acquire additional resources – he emphasizes again – and it was only when Shoigu announced that all irregulars would have to sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense that Prigozhin felt he would squeeze his hand. I think he was hoping to avoid it. But the deadline was coming up, at the end of the month, and so he set out on this project. I find it very unlikely that Ukrainians would work with someone who was so ruthless and didn’t want to end the war.”
09:03
The end of road restrictions in Rostov, still in Moscow and Tula
“Restrictions on traffic on the M-4 Don highway are still in effect in the Moscow and Tula regions.” The Russian State Highway Network Corporation writes it on its Telegram channel. “In accordance with the decisions previously made in the regions, there is still a traffic restriction along the M-4 Don in the Tula and Moscow regions,” the letter said. Instead, stop at the road curbs on Rostov.
08:51
The Kremlin struggled to respond to Wagner.
Kremlin “industrious” to collect “Quick and efficient responseIn front of Wagner’s progress on Moscow. analysisInstitute for the Study of War (ISW) In the aftermath of the coup attempt by Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The ISW stressed “weaknesses in internal security likely due to the suddenness and impact of heavy casualties in Ukraine”, asserting that Wagner’s men “may have been able to reach the outskirts of Moscow if Prigozhin had ordered them to do so”. “It is noteworthy that Rosgvardia also failed to intervene when Wagner captured important military assets in Rostov-on-Don and destroyed Russian warplanes,” the ISW added.
08:46
“At least 15 Russian soldiers were killed in Prigozhin’s advance”
at least 15 Russian soldiers were killed During the “March for Justice” announced by the head of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who moved his forces yesterday to Moscow and then stopped 200 kilometers from the capital. This was reported by the Belarusian opposition website Nexta, citing pro-Kremlin Telegram channels.
08:45
Rostov Governor: “The column of Wagner vehicles is leaving the city”
convoy with equipment and Wagner fighters, He left the Rostov region at night. This was announced by the Rostov Region Governor Vasily Golubev on his Telegram channel, according to what was reported by the Russian news agency TASS. Wagner’s column left the city, heading for the fields: “I am grateful to everyone who, under these exceptional circumstances, ensured the well-coordinated work of life support systems in the capital of the Don and throughout the Rostov region.” Governor
08:42
Wagner’s fighters leave Rostov, to the applause of the people
The Wagner fighters left Rostov to people applauding and firing into the air. This can be seen in a video clip circulated on Twitter and confirmed by the BBC. The video shows a Wagner fighter firing its gun into the sky as it leaves Rostov. Yesterday, Wagner’s troops advanced up to 200 km from Moscow.
08:41
“Prigozhin in Belarus, criminal case against him dismissed”
The head of the Wagner Group is located in Belarus, a country that, through President Lukashenko’s negotiations, seems to have played an important role in stopping the march of mercenaries to Moscow. This was announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, adding that Wagner’s chief, who in the past few hours had disrupted the advance of his forces towards Moscow. The TASS news agency quoted Peskov as saying that the Russian authorities would not prosecute the Wagner militiamen who participated in the rebellion “given their advantages on the front line.” Meanwhile, the Kremlin adds, the criminal case opened against Prigozhin just 24 hours ago has already been closed. As reported by TASS, neither the Wagner fighters nor their commander will be brought to justice.
08:41
The New York Times: “US Intelligence Knows of Prigozhin’s Plans”
The US authorities have been aware for days of the plans of the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin. The New York Times wrote, citing intelligence sources. US national security officials were warned on Wednesday that Prigozhin was preparing to act. Their immediate concern was how this would affect Moscow’s control of its nuclear arsenal. American intelligence has been tracking the growing tensions between Commander Wagner and the leaders of the Russian military, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, for months.
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