Ukrainian forces advance after Wagner boss Prigozhin stops revolt

Chaos in Russia works to Kyiv's advantage, Ukraine officials said on Saturday, but it remains to be seen whether President Volodymyr Zelensky and his army can capitalize on the disorder caused this weekend as mercenaries marched towards Moscow.

Late on Saturday, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a founder of the Wagner army, said he was halting his "march for justice" on Moscow after a deal that spared him and his mercenaries from facing criminal charges.

The deal also exiled Prigozhin to Belarus.

A convoy of mutinous Wagner fighters approaching the outskirts of Moscow by road contains about 5,000 men led by senior Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin, a source close to the leadership in the Russian-held part of Ukraine's Donetsk province said on Saturday.

The source, who has proved reliable in the past, said Wagner chief Dmitry Prigozhin had fewer than 25,000 men at his disposal in total, and that around 5,000 of them were in Rostov-on-Don, the southern city key to Russia's war in Ukraine that Prigozhin said he had taken control of.

The source said Wagner's plan for Moscow was to take up positions in a densely built-up area.

The chaos unfolding in Russia represents a serious crisis for Vladimir Putin's regime and its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. It also illustrates once again how illegitimate the invasion of Ukraine is as a Russian agenda.

The fact that a mercenary army, called Wagner Group, now appeared to confront the Russian army shows why Ukraine must never be occupied by Moscow. Ukrainians have a right not to have to be ruled by either a foreign army or mercenary contractors.

The crisis also illustrates the danger the war poses to the world.

Former president Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday that Russia would not allow a mutiny led by mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin to turn into a coup or a global crisis, state news agency TASS reported on Saturday.

Answering questions from journalists, Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, said the whole world would be on the brink of catastrophe if Russian nuclear weapons fell into the hands of "bandits".

Wagner mercenaries have been promised an amnesty if they lay down their weapons but they need to act fast, the TASS news agency cited a lawmaker as saying on Saturday.

"Wagner fighters can still lay down their arms and avoid punishment given their achievements during the special military operation (in Ukraine), but they should do it fast," TASS cited the lawmaker, Pavel Krasheninnikov, as saying.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Saturday asked people to refrain from trips around the city as far as possible given a counter-terrorism operation had been declared and said the situation was "difficult."

Sobyanin also said in a statement that Monday would be a non-working day - with some exceptions - in order 'to minimize risks.'

He issued the statement as mutinous Wagner mercenary fighters appeared to be continuing to drive toward Moscow from southern Russia.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a situational assessment on Saturday evening amid a mutiny developing in Russia, where the rebellious Wagner group is barrelling toward the capital of Moscow in an ongoing revolt.

This is a developing story.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry mocked Russia’s current military coup situation in a series of tweets made on Saturday.

In one of the tweets, the Defense Ministry wrote “The kremlin snake eating its own tail.” Captioned with an animated image of a militarized black snake devouring its own tail.

The kremlin snake eating its own tail. pic.twitter.com/hT6YAB0aCA

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 24, 2023

 In another one of the tweets, tagging Ukrainian President Vlodomyr Zelensky, the ministry wrote “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.” 

“Russia's weakness is obvious. Full-scale weakness. And the longer Russia keeps its troops and mercenaries on our land, the more chaos, pain, and problems it will have for itself later. “ 

NATO is "monitoring the situation" in Russia, a spokeswoman for the transatlantic military alliance said via email on Saturday. The spokeswoman, Oana Lungescu, had no further comment.

Britain's defense ministry said on Saturday that the Russian state was facing its greatest security challenge of recent times, following what it said appeared to be a move by Wagner Group mercenary forces towards Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an emergency televised address on Saturday that an "armed mutiny" by the Wagner Group was treason, and that anyone who had taken up arms against the Russian military would be punished.

"Over the coming hours, the loyalty of Russia's security forces, and especially the Russian National Guard, will be key to how this crisis plays out," Britain's defense ministry said in a regular intelligence update.

"This represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times," it added.