Members of Wagner group sit on the sidewalk as they patrol the center of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023. /CFP
Authorities in Russia are urging residents to stay at home and canceling public events on Saturday as the Wagner private military group led what Russia called a mutiny against the Moscow defense establishment.
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced earlier that his Wagner fighters had crossed the border into Russia's Rostov from Ukraine and were prepared to go "all the way" against Moscow's military.
Here is what we know so far on the latest situation in Russia.
What Prigozhin said?
The Wagner Group is a private army of mercenaries that has been fighting alongside the regular Russian army in Ukraine.
However, Prigozhin on Friday accused the Russian military of "destroying" his fighters, without fully explaining his accusation, and vowed to stop what he called the "evil" of the military leadership.
The Russian Defense Ministry has denied such allegations.
Prigozhin has been criticizing Russia's top military leaders, namely Sergei Shoigu, the defense minister, and General Valery Gerasimov, the head of Russia's armed forces, accusing them of incompetence over the military effort in Ukraine and of starving his troops of weapons and ammunition.
The Wagner chief said Saturday his fighters captured the army headquarters in Russia's Rostov-on-Don "without firing a single shot" and claimed to have the support of locals.
Screen grab taken from a footage released by the Russian presidential press office shows Russian President Vladimir Putin making a statement in Moscow, Russia, June 24, 2023. /CFP
How Russia responded?
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an emergency televised address on Saturday that an "armed mutiny" by the Wagner private military group was treason, and that anyone who had taken up arms against the Russian military would be punished.
Prigozhin responded that the president "was deeply mistaken" in calling him a traitor, saying that members of the private military group are "patriots."
Putin ordered the Russian Armed Forces to neutralize those who organized the armed rebellion of the Wagner group.
Russia's FSB security service has opened a criminal case against Prigozhin for calling for an armed mutiny.
What other countries said?
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said unrest in Russia presented "a window of opportunity" for Kyiv, AFP reported.
Putin on Saturday called several world leaders to brief them on the situation, and the Kremlin said it got full support from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan for the steps taken by the Russian leadership.
The Security Council of Belarus also said on Saturday that Minsk remained an ally of Russia, while Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev told Putin that events in Russia were an "internal affair."
Countries around the world said they were closely monitoring the situation in Russia. "The United States will stay in close coordination with Allies and partners as the situation continues to develop," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted after speaking with G7 Foreign Ministers and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
(With input from agencies)