Fighters from Yevgeny Prigozhin‘s private Wagner militia were in control of Rostov-on-Don, a city of more than a million people close to the border with Ukraine, and were rapidly advancing northwards through western Russia.
A Reuters journalist saw army helicopters open fire at an armed Wagner column that was advancing past the city of Voronezh with troop carriers and at least one tank on a flatbed truck.
A truck transporting a military vehicle of Wagner private mercenary group drives along M-4 highway, which links the capital Moscow with Russia’s southern cities, near Voronezh, Russia, on June 24, 2023 in this still image taken from video.
On Saturday morning, media outlets reported increased military activity in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, with videos showing tanks and groups of soldiers moving on the streets.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the mercenary Wagner group, claimed to have control of several important military facilities in southern Russia in the city of Rostov-on-Don. Video verified by The New York Times shows that he had entered a key military complex on Saturday morning.
As the Wagner troops were said to be driving into the Russian city of Rostov, Mr Prigozhin said that his mercenaries were greeted by border guards.
He said young conscripts at checkpoints stood back and offered no resistance, adding that his forces „aren’t fighting against children.”