Some Wagner mercenaries remain on Ukrainian territory, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed on Tuesday that Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group, is in Belarus , Belta reported. 

The Wagner private military group was entirely supported by the state, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with the military.

From May 2022 to May 2023, authorities used more than 86 billion rubles to support the group, according to the Russian leader.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday told gathered troops at the Kremlin that they had prevented a civil war after a revolt by Wagner mercenaries, and held a minute of silence for pilots killed in clashes during the insurrection. 

"You de facto stopped civil war," the Russian leader said in a televised address to law enforcement agencies. 

Putin also said the attempted armed insurrection to oust Russia's military leadership last week failed to win the support of the Russian people or its army. 

"People who were drawn into the rebellion saw that the army and the people were not with them," Putin told troops from the defense ministry, National Guard, FSB security service and interior ministry.

The Embraer Legacy 600 jet which is allegedly used by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's Wagner private military group, landed at the Machulishchi military airfield near Minsk on Tuesday at 7:40 a.m. local time, the Belarusian Hajun project, which monitors military movements, said on Telegram. 

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has dropped the criminal cases related to an armed mutiny against Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's Wagner private military group, according to a report by Interfax on Tuesday.

Wagner group is preparing to hand over heavy military equipment to Russian Defense Ministry, RIA reported on Tuesday.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has ordered the army to be put on full combat readiness "against the backdrop of events in Russia", according to a report by the Belarusian news agency BelTA on Tuesday. 

A Russian-registered Embraer Legacy 600 jet, which is listed by the United States as being linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's Wagner private military group, flew from Russia to Belarus on Tuesday, according to Flightradar24. 

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private military group, released an 11-minute audio file in his first message since halting a mutiny.

Prigozhin said the Wagner fighters' march aimed to save the group, not overthrow the government in Moscow.

The U.S. envoy "gave signals" to Russia that Washington had nothing to do with "mutiny" and hoped for nuclear arms safety, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview with RT on Monday.

Russian special services are investigating if Western countries were involved in June 24 events, Lavrov added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Russian media reported on Monday.

Raisi expressed support for Russian leadership in connection with last Saturday's abortive Wagner Group mutiny, the Kremlin said.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on Monday during a televised government meeting that Russia had faced "a challenge to its stability", and must remain united behind President Vladimir Putin. 

China and Russia maintain close and good communication at all levels, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

In response to questions over the Wagner group incident over the weekend, Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a regular press briefing that the Wagner group incident is Russia's internal affair.

"As Russia's friendly neighbor and comprehensive strategic partner of coordination for the new era, China supports and believes Russia's ability to maintain national stability and achieve development and prosperity," said Mao.

In a statement issued Sunday night, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also stressed China's support for Russia's stability.

Moscow and Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private military group, reached a compromise following mediation efforts by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko late Saturday. Prigozhin accepted Lukashenko's proposal to stop the advance of his troops and de-escalate the situation. Wagner was accused earlier of attempting to launch an armed rebellion on Friday night.

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Live updates: Wagner forces leave Russia's Rostov-on-Don

(Cover: File of Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning. /Chinese Foreign Ministry)

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who expressed support for the Russian leadership in relation to a mutiny on Saturday led by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin said on Monday in a statement. 

The leaders also discussed Russian-Qatari cooperation, the Kremlin said, adding that Putin also congratulated the Qatari Emir on the 10th anniversary of his accession to the throne and the upcoming Eid al-Adha.

A criminal case on Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private military group, has not been closed, Russian media reported on Monday, citing sources close to the Prosecutor General's Office.

"The case has not been closed, the investigation continues," the sources said.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Monday on his Telegram account that the counter-terrorism regime imposed in the Russian capital during an armed mutiny by the Wagner mercenary group was removed.

U.S. Embassy in Russia contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry in relation to the mutiny of Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner private military group, RIA reported, citing sources.

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday discussed a brief revolt of mercenary troops in Russia that sparked Moscow's largest political crisis in decades. 

Russia has denied that an aborted rebellion by Wagner mercenaries will affect their position in Ukraine but in Kyiv they are seeing it as an opportunity to capitalize on the disorder. 

It remains to be seen whether Ukraine can take advantage with Russia's defense ministry saying on Sunday it had repelled attacks on the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions, Russian news agencies reported.

It is also being claimed by RIA state news agency that the situation around the headquarters of Russia's Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don was calm and street traffic resumed after Yevgeny Prigozhin and his mercenaries left the city.

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But there will be plenty of speculation on what impact on morale there will be from the Wagner rebellion and the apparent ease at which they were able to head towards Moscow.

Late on Saturday, 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.

"Today the world saw that the masters of Russia do not control anything. Nothing at all. Just complete chaos," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address, urging Ukraine's allies to use the moment and send more weapons to Kyiv.

But at the same time the much talked about Ukrainian offensive has failed to make the inroads that they were hoping for.

And the death toll from a Russian air attack on Kyiv in the early hours of Saturday has now risen to five, the city's mayor Vitali Klitschko said. 

The Prigozhin unrest, the biggest internal challenge to President Vladimir Putin as Russia's paramount leader for 23 years, has spurred global security concerns.

"Any chaos behind the enemy lines works in our interests," State-run Ukrinform news agency quoted Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba as saying.

Putin called Prigozhin's actions a "blow to Russia", but there were no immediate signs his rule was threatened. The defense ministry, under the helm of Putin's loyal ally Sergei Shoigu, remained silent throughout the weekend's events.

Kuleba said it was too early to speak of consequences for Ukraine, but later in the day he held a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the events and Kyiv's counteroffensive efforts.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement afterwards that Washington will stay "in close cooperation" with Kyiv as the situation develops.

Ukraine's military reported on Saturday an offensive near villages ringing Bakhmut, which was taken by Wagner forces in May after months of fighting. Kyiv also claimed the liberation of Krasnohorivka village in Donetsk, but gains were incremental.

The counteroffensive has been in general "slower than desired", Zelenskyy said recently.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, said on Saturday there was no immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from the frontline to Moscow.

"They ... all remain in their places. They continue their resistance," Ukrainian state media quoted Danilov as saying.

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Wagner mercenaries returned to their base after President Vladimir Putin accepted an amnesty deal which meant its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin would go into exile.

The fighters were given guarantees for their safety and the leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, will move to Belarus, according to the agreement mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Prigozhin, 62, a former Putin ally whose forces have fought the bloodiest battles of the 16-month war in Ukraine, said his decision to advance on Moscow was intended to remove corrupt and incompetent Russian commanders he blames for botching the war.

He was seen leaving the district military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don - hundreds of miles south of Moscow - late on Saturday in a sport utility vehicle. His whereabouts on Sunday was not immediately clear.

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Videos shared on social media from Rostov overnight purportedly showed the mercenaries withdrawing from the city in a convoy of armored vehicles, tanks and coaches to the sound of cheers, chants of "Wagner" and celebratory gunfire from local residents.

"Take care of yourselves," shouted one woman.

Moscow was calm on Sunday, with the Red Square closed but otherwise little evidence of increased security in the streets. Monday has been declared a non-working day to allow time for things to settle.

The capital had told residents to stay indoors and deployed soldiers in preparation for the arrival of the Wagner fighters, who appeared to meet little pushback from the regular armed forces.

Chechen special forces who deployed to the Rostov region to resist the mercenaries' advance were also withdrawing back to where they had been fighting in Ukraine, commander Apty Alaudinov said in a video published on Telegram.

After capturing Rostov - the main rear logistical hub for Russia's attacks on Ukraine - Wagner soldiers had raced hundreds of miles north in what Prigozhin called a "march for justice", transporting tanks and armored trucks and smashing through barricades set up to stop them, before the deal to withdraw was reached.

Under the deal, brokered late on Saturday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a criminal case opened against Prigozhin for armed mutiny would be dropped, Prigozhin would move to Belarus, and Wagner fighters who rallied to his cause would face no action, in recognition of their previous service to Russia.

Peskov said Lukashenko had offered to mediate, with Putin's approval, because he had known Prigozhin personally for around 20 years.

In a televised address during Saturday's drama, Putin said the rebellion put Russia's very existence under threat.

"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 said, vowing punishment for those behind "an armed insurrection" and drawing parallels with the chaos of 1917 that had led to the Bolshevik revolution.

Peskov declined to say whether any concessions were made to Prigozhin, other than guarantees of safety for him - something he said Putin gave his word to vouch for - and for Prigozhin's men, to persuade him to withdraw all his forces.

Prigozhin railed for months against the military's top brass, especially Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff, Valery Gerasimov, accusing them of incompetence and of withholding ammunition from his fighters as they battled to take Bakhmut in Ukraine.

Led by Prigozhin, a former convict whose forces include thousands of ex-prisoners recruited from Russian jails, Wagner has grown into a sprawling international business with mining interests and fighters in Africa and the Middle East.

This month, he defied orders to sign a contract placing his troops under the command of the Defense Ministry. He launched the rebellion on Friday after alleging that the military had killed many of his fighters in an airstrike. The Defense Ministry denied this.

The revolt came just weeks into the start of Ukraine's strongest counteroffensive drive since Moscow's invasion in February last year.

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On June 24, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin called off a rebellion by his mercenary group. The next morning, as Wagner's troops marched out of Rostov-on-Don, the residents cheered their withdrawal and celebrated the initial easing of the situation.

Units of the Wagner group have left the territory of Russia's Lipetsk region, local authorities said Sunday. 

Tension in Russia de-escalates, with the Wagner mercenary group pulling back from their march on Moscow. Here is a timeline of how the Wagner mercenary crisis evolved over the weekend.

Units of Russia's Wagner private military group are leaving the territory of the Voronezh region in regular mode and without incident, the Governor of the Voronezh Region Alexander Gusev said on social media, as Russia appears to have stabilized the situation after Wagner was accused of attempting to launch an armed rebellion.

At the same time, in Russia's Rostov region, all transport restrictions have been lifted, Russian news agencies reported on Sunday, citing local officials.

"Bus and railway stations are working in normal mode. Tickets are on sale, all destinations are on schedule," Sergey Tyurin, deputy minister of regional policy and mass communications for the Rostov region was quoted as saying.

On late Saturday, a compromise was reached between Moscow and Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group, through the mediation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. 

The Wagner group is a private military company that made its name known to the world by fighting Ukraine. It pioneered a prolonged Russian campaign to seize the city of Bakhmut that was hotly contested with Ukrainian forces.

The Kremlin said Prigozhin and his troops will not be prosecuted despite being accused of armed mutiny and Prigozhin agreed to leave Russia for Belarus and called off his troops' advance to Moscow. 

Previously, Prigozhin vowed to topple Russian military leadership, whom he accused of launching strikes on his Wagner fighters. Russian Defense Ministry has denied the accusation. 

President Vladimir Putin had decried Prigozhin's actions as "treason" in a national TV address on Saturday.

(With input from agencies)

On Saturday, the Wagner Group left the military headquarters of Russia's Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, which had been seized by them for a day. CGTN interviewed some local residents who expressed their expectations for a peaceful resolution.

On June 24, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin called off a rebellion by his mercenary group, which had been making its way to Russian capital Moscow. The mayor of Moscow has declared Monday a non-working day in a bid to reduce security risks for residents.

CGTN Stringer asked Moscow residents how the event had impacted them. Lena and Sofia, both students at HSE University, said it was an extremely stressful and unpredictable day for them.

The Kremlin said on Saturday that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had offered to mediate a deal to end an armed mutiny that Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin had led against Russia's military leadership.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Lukashenko, who has known Prigozhin for around 20 years, struck the deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin's agreement. 

Read more:

Wagner chief Prigozhin to move to Belarus after halting Moscow advance

June 23

Setting

- Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russia's Wagner private military group, accused the Russian military of launching a deadly missile strike on his troops, a claim the Russian Defense Ministry has denied.

- Prigozhin, in an audio message, pledged to "stop" Moscow's top military leadership and said his call to action was a "march for justice."

- Russia's Federal Security Service opened a criminal case against Prigozhin for "calling for armed mutiny."

June 24

Rising Action 

- Prigozhin vowed to go "all the way" against the Russian military, saying that his forces have entered Russia from Ukraine.

- Wagner tanks surrounded the Defense Ministry building in Rostov-on-Don in Russia, where all public events that were scheduled for the weekend have been canceled.

- Prigozhin said via Telegram that he had entered Russia's Southern District Military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, claiming that all military sites in Rostov-on-Don, including an aerodrome, were under the Wagner group's control.

- Russia's anti-terrorist committee began the counter-terrorist operation in Moscow, Moscow region and Voronezh region.

- Russian security forces stormed the Wagner group's headquarters in St. Petersburg.

Climax

- Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an emergency televised address that "we are facing a treason" and will take decisive action to stabilize the situation in Rostov-on-Don. But Prigozhin rejected Putin's accusation of "treason," saying members of the private military group are "patriots."

- Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said his forces were ready to help put down a mutiny by Prigozhin and to use harsh methods if necessary.

Turning Point

- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's office said he had brokered a deal with Prigozhin, who had agreed to de-escalate the situation.

Resolution

- Prigozhin called off the advance of Wagner troops in an audio message, saying that his forces were turning around and going back to field camps as planned after they had come within 200 kilometers of Russia's capital, Moscow.

- Wagner group fighters have left the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and were headed back to their field camps, the regional governor said.

- Russia will drop criminal charges against Prigozhin, and he will "go to Belarus," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, adding that Wagner's soldiers will not face prosecution.

Russia's Federal Road Agency urged residents of the Moscow region on Sunday to refrain from traveling along the M-4 "Don" major expressway until 10 a.m. local time (0700 GMT). 

The agency had said earlier in the day on the Telegram messaging app, in a post now deleted, that traffic restrictions on the highway in the Moscow and Tula regions remained.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Saturday discussed the situation in Russia with defense ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom.

"The United States will stay in close coordination with Allies and partners as the situation continues to develop," the U.S. defense department said in a readout. 

Russian tycoon Yevgeny Prigozhin called off a rebellion by his Wagner mercenary group on Saturday in a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Russia will drop criminal charges against Prigozhin and he will "go to Belarus," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that Wagner's soldiers will not face prosecution.

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Lukashenko for mediating the agreement.

Wagner forces had reached the city of Lipetsk, some 450 kilometers south of Moscow, before Prigozhin ordered everyone back to their camps. Prigozhin and other Wagner troops were seen leaving the headquarters of Russia's Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, which they had seized.

Prigozhin began the rebellion on Friday after accusing Russia's military of launching a missile attack against his troops in Ukraine. Russian authorities denied it happened. 

With tensions easing, the Kremlin announced it would end a counterterrorism operation that put troops and military vehicles on the streets of Moscow.

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The office of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday that he had brokered a deal with Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin who had agreed to de-escalate the situation.

The announcement, carried on the official Telegram channel of the Belarusian presidency, said Prigozhin had agreed to halt the further movement of Wagner fighters across Russia. 

(With input from Reuters)

The President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko is claiming the Wagner Group has agreed to de-escalate and stop its troops moving across Russia. The office of Lukashenko said that he had brokered a deal with mutinous Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a post on its official telegram account.

The conversation between Prigozhin and Lukashenko is believed to have been sanctioned by Putin. There has been no confirmation from the Kremlin but Reuters reported that Prigozhin has released a voice message saying to avoid 'bloodshed' he has ordered his troops to return to their bases.

President Vladimir Putin spoke directly to several of his allies by telephone on Saturday in a bid to reassure leaders with close ties to the Kremlin over an armed mutiny launched by Russia's Wagner Group.

Speaking in an emergency televised address on Saturday, Putin described the Wagner Group's overnight bid to seize Rostov-on-Don and summon Moscow's military commanders as "treason," saying anyone who had taken up arms against the Russian military would be punished.

After his address, he discussed the situation with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by phone. 

The Kremlin later said that the Turkish leader had backed the Russian government's handling of the mutiny during the conversation. 

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The Turkish presidency briefed separately that the two had discussed the developments, Erdogan telling the Russian president that Ankara was ready to do its part to help bring about a peaceful resolution.

"In the conversation, it was emphasized that no one should exploit the situation in Russia," it said.

Putin also spoke with Belarus's President Alexander Lukashenko, Kazakhstan's Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and Uzbekistan's Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Russian leader's closest regional allies. 

Belarus' Security Council stressed that Minsk - which has allowed Moscow to launch troops into Ukraine from inside its border - remained an ally, warning that internal disputes were "a gift to the collective West." 

The Kazakh president's office said Tokayev noted the events were "an internal affair of Russia." 

Vowing to crush an armed mutiny he compared to Russia's Civil War a century ago, Putin is facing the first serious challenge to his power of his 23-year rule.

However, the Wagner mercenary's mutiny comes amid a complete breakdown in support and communication between the Russian leader and many of his Western counterparts. 

Western response

While the majority of Western states remained quietly diplomatic on the developments in Russia, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy celebrated the drive to oust Moscow's military command as a sign of the country's weakness. 

"Anyone who chooses the path of evil destroys themselves," said the leader on Saturday. "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," he added. 

The White House said U.S. President Joe Biden had been briefed on the situation and spoken with the leaders of France, Germany and the UK, who had reaffirmed their "unwavering support" for Ukraine.

A NATO spokesperson said the Western military alliance was "monitoring the situation," while both Germany and the UK's government crisis teams met on Saturday.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the BBC after the emergency COBRA meeting that he was "keeping a close eye on the situation as it is evolving on the ground as we speak... the most important thing I would say is for all parties to be responsible and to protect civilians."

Commenting on developments in the field, Britain's defense ministry had earlier reported that Wagner troops in Russia were "almost certainly aiming to get to Moscow."

Russia's neighbors, Ukraine's allies

Countries that neighbor Russia but who support Ukraine in the conflict, including Poland, Estonia, and Latvia said they had strengthened their border security. Latvia added it had blocked visa and border entry to Russians amid the escalation. 

Czechia's foreign minister Jan Lipavsky warned of "the possible threat of erosion of the security situation" in Russia, "especially for citizens of EU and NATO countries."

Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda said that the situation would only encourage NATO to strengthen its "deterrence and forward defense capabilities": "Today's events in Russia may mean a moment of respite for Ukraine. For us, it is necessary to prepare for the most unexpected scenarios."

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U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday spoke by telephone with the leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom, the White House said.

Biden and his European counterparts discussed "the situation in Russia," a White House statement said.

(With input from agencies) 

Mutinous mercenary fighters are heading towards Moscow after seizing a southern Russian city overnight on the orders of the powerful Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has launched what President Vladimir Putin called an 'armed mutiny' in Russia.

The Russian leader has vowed to crush Prigozhin's uprising, the country's first armed insurrection in decades. 

But who exactly is the former hot-dog-seller-turned-militia-leader, and why is his private army facing off against Russia's military? 

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What is the Wagner group?

Sometimes called a mercenary group, sometimes referred to as a proxy force, it is essentially a private army. It was founded in 2014 by Yevgeny Prigozhin – a former associate and ally of Putin - when it backed pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine.

Wagner is thought to have around 50,000 troops in Ukraine, with the U.S. estimating that around 80 percent of them were recruited from Russian prisons. 

However last year it registered as a company and now openly recruits - with adverts seen on billboards across the country.

Wagner also has a global footprint. Its fighters has fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic and Mali among others. But Prigozhin has accused the Kremlin of abandoning some conflicts in Africa and pocketing the money, something the defense ministry has denied.

Last month the group seized the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut after some of the conflict's most brutal fighting, but Prigozhin has been highly critical of Moscow's top military commanders throughout the campaign. 

Who is the group's founder Yevgeny Prigozhin?

Famous for his aggressive PR style, visceral language and a frequent presence near the front lines in Ukraine, Prigozhin is one of the most visible faces of the Ukraine conflict, having allegedly recruited thousands of Russian prisoners to fight for Wagner.

After serving a long prison sentence in the 1980s, Prigozhin started out selling hotdogs in his hometown of St. Petersburg. He soon began to build up a stake in a chain of supermarkets, and eventually opened his own restaurant and catering company.

His restaurant gained a reputation for its fine food and was soon hosting dignitaries including then St Petersburg deputy mayor Vladimir Putin. From there, Prigozhin's catering firm Concord began to win government supply contracts, taking its operations to a much bigger level.

The 62-year-old would later come to be known as "Putin's chef" due to the Kremlin catering contracts. It's unclear how friendly he and Putin are, but he had previously been portrayed as a close ally of the Russian president. 

While Prigozhin has shied away from criticizing the Russian president, he has been relentless in his anger towards Russia's military leadership, in particular Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov despite new Russian legislation banning public criticism of the campaign.

Why is his private army facing off against Russia's military? 

On Friday, Prigozhin accused Russian troops of launching a rocket attack that killed scores of his fighters, triggering him to order what he calls a "march for justice" to remove corrupt and incompetent commanders he blames for botching the Ukraine conflict. 

Having already captured the Russian city of Rostov-On-Don by Saturday and setting off on an 1,100 kilometer race to Moscow, it is a serious escalation in the feud between the Wagner boss and Russia's military. But tensions have been building for months. 

Prigozhin has repeatedly railed against the regular army's top brass, accusing generals of incompetence and withholding ammunition from his fighters. In one of his most memorable video from early May, Prigozhin showed a field of dead Wagner mercenaries who he said had perished due to a lack of munitions caused by Shoigu and Gerasimov.

This month, he went so far as to defy orders to sign a contract placing his troops under the command of the Russian Defense Ministry, despite Putin backing the order. To do so would have made it harder for Prigozhin to build his own political and military influence, something he has spent months doing while receiving military hardware and ammunition from the army.

Putin's intervention on the defense ministry's side left Prigozhin in a difficult position, as the ministry has said that such contracts are required to give volunteer groups the "necessary legal status" to operate. He had said earlier in June that he was not sure if his men would even continue to fight in Ukraine amid the bitter standoff with the Defense Ministry.

Adding fuel to the fire on Thursday, Prigozhin accused Russia's military leadership of lying to Putin and the Russian people about the scale of Russian losses and setbacks in Ukraine.

"Total trash is being put on the president's desk. Shoigu and Gerasimov have a simple approach. The lie must be monstrous for people to believe it. That is what they are doing," he said in one message.

On entering Rostov this weekend, the mercenary leader said, "We came here to stop the disgrace in the country that we live in," before adding: "We are saving Russia."

Putin hosted an unscheduled televized address saying: "Those who staged the mutiny and took up arms against their comrades – they have betrayed Russia and will be brought to account." 

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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 input from Reuters)

The BBC Russia has reported evacuations of public buildings across Moscow as Wagner forces advance.

Museums near the Kremlin were being evacuated, said the broadcaster.

The Wagner group has entered the Russian city of Voronezh, some 460 kilometers south of Moscow, where an explosion hit a fuel depot, according to RIA news agency. CGTN's correspondent in Moscow, Dmitriy Maslak, shared the latest situation in the capital.

Russian law enforcement personnel took over the headquarters of the Wagner mercenary group in St. Petersburg since 7 a.m. on June 24, according to CMG Reporter Xu Hongbo. "The building has been closed to all personnel, and the number of armed police at the scene is still increasing," he said.

Russian security forces have stormed the Wagner group's headquarters in St. Petersburg, RIA news agency reported on Saturday. What is the current situation? Let's see the on-the-scene report by CGTN's correspondent from St. Petersburg.

The governor of the Lipetsk region Igor Artamonov announced the movement of columns of PMC Wagner equipment across the region, adding that all necessary measures are being taken to "ensure the safety of the population," TASS reported on Saturday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the response will be harsh to an attempted Wagner rebellion. Security in Moscow has reportedly tightened. CGTN correspondent Vadim Simakov drove around Moscow and found the center of the city calm.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that allows detention for 30 days for violating the martial law regime, RIA reported on Saturday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a phone call on Saturday over the latest situation in Russia, Russian media reported.

A surprising rebellion erupted in Russia on Friday by the head of the Wagner mercenary group, who accused the Russian military of targeting his Wagner forces in Ukraine with airstrikes and artillery even though they are meant to be fighting on the same side.

The rebellion has triggered the gravest domestic crisis for Russian President Vladimir Putin since the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out more than one year ago.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenary boss, has been a close ally of the president. He 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. He also vowed that he and his men would destroy anyone who stood in their way.

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In Russia's Bryansk region, organizations that are part of the security forces have been put on high alert, Governor Oleksandr Bogomaz said on Telegram on Saturday.

The situation in the region and on the border with Ukraine is stable and under control, Bogomaz said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to crush what he called an 'armed mutiny' after the leader of the Wagner group Yevgeny Prigozhin announced his forces had taken control of a southern Russian city - and a convoy has been spotted heading towards Moscow.

Potentially the biggest domestic crisis the Russian president has faced since he ordered Moscow's assault on Ukraine, here's what you need to know about the latest developments... 

Key points

• Prigozhin says his forces have seized control of all military sites in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

• Wagner forces have also taken control of military facilities in the city of Voronezh.

• A Wagner convoy has been seen heading towards Moscow on the M-4 motorway.

• Russian military helicopters allegedly opened fire on the convoy outside Voronezh, with Prigozhin reporting several clashes between his fighters and the Russian army.

• Prigozhin is demanding that Russia's military leadership come to negotiate with him after accusing them of shelling his forces.

• President Vladimir Putin, in a televized address, condemned Prigozhin's actions as an "armed mutiny."

• Putin told the nation, "any actions that split our nation are essentially a betrayal of our people."

• Russia's FSB security service have opened a criminal case against Prigozhin for armed mutiny.

• On Friday, Prigozhin accused the country's military leadership of ordering a rocket attack that killed scores of his fighters, a claim Moscow has denied.

IN DETAIL

Putin condemns Wagner 'treason' 

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to put down what he called an armed mutiny after the private army of mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin seized control of a southern Russian city in a bid to oust the military leadership.

In Russia's first armed insurrection since the Chechen wars 20 years ago, fighters from Prigozhin's Wagner militia were in control of the streets of Rostov-on-Don, a city of more than a million people close to the border with Ukraine.

Prigozhin said he had captured the headquarters of Russia's Southern Military District there after leading his forces into Russia from Ukraine. The city is a vital logistical hub for Russia's forces fighting in Ukraine.

Wagner fighters were captured in armoured vehicles and huge battle tanks taking up positions in the city center.

A Russian security source told Reuters that Wagner fighters had also taken control of military facilities in the city of Voronezh, further north on the road towards Moscow in a lightning advance after seizing Rostov. 

According to one Reuters journalist, Russian military helicopters opened fire on a Wagner convoy just outside the city, which is already more than half way towards the Russian capital.

Russia's defense ministry said in a statement directed to Wagner fighters that they had been "deceived and dragged into a criminal adventure" by Prigozhin, urging the mercenaries to contact the Ministry of Defense and not take part in the Wagner's boss's directives. 

In Moscow, there was an increased security presence on the streets. Red Square was blocked off by metal barriers.

"Excessive ambitions and vested interests have led to treason," Putin said in a televised address, calling the move a "stab in the back".

"It is a blow to Russia, to our people. And our actions to defend the Fatherland against such a threat will be harsh."

"All those who deliberately stepped on the path of betrayal, who prepared an armed insurrection, who took the path of blackmail and terrorist methods, will suffer inevitable punishment, will answer both to the law and to our people," Putin said.

Commenting on Putin's address, Prigozhin said the president "was deeply mistaken" in calling him a traitor, marking the first time he has directly spoken out against the Russian president.

"No one is going to turn themselves in at the request of the president … We don't want the country to continue to live in corruption and lies," he said on Saturday. "We are patriots, and those who are against us are the ones who gathered around the bastards," the mercenary stated.

In a series of messages overnight, Prigozhin demanded Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov come to see him in Rostov. The mercenary leader later claimed in a voice message on Saturday that his forces had left Ukraine and had entered Russian's Rostov. 

"If anyone gets in our way, we will destroy everything," he said, adding that his 25,000 fighters were ready to "go all the way" against the top brass and destroy anyone who stood in their way.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday the situation showed that "Russia's weakness was "obvious" and that the longer Moscow kept its troops and mercenaries in Ukraine, the more chaos it would invite back home.

A senior aide to the president described Prigozhin's actions as a "counter-terrorist operation" and said that "everything is just beginning in Russia."

Western capitals said they were closely following the situation. "This represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times," Britain's defense ministry said.

Prigozhin's demands

Prigozhin, a former convict and long-time ally of Putin, leads a private army that includes thousands of former prisoners recruited from Russian jails.

His men took on the fiercest fighting of the 16-month Ukraine conflict - a protracted battle for the eastern city of Bakhmut - and he has feuded for months with the regular army's leadership, accusing generals of incompetence and of withholding ammunition from his fighters.

This month, he defied orders to sign a contract placing his troops under the command of the Defense Ministry.

He launched the apparent mutiny on Friday after alleging that the military had killed a large number of his fighters in an air strike, a charge the Defense Ministry denies.

"Those who destroyed our lads, who destroyed the lives of many tens of thousands of Russian soldiers, will be punished. I ask that no one offer resistance," Prigozhin said.

"There are 25,000 of us and we are going to figure out why chaos is happening in the country," he said, promising to destroy any checkpoints or air forces that got in Wagner's way. He later said his men had been involved in clashes with regular soldiers and had shot down a helicopter.

Russia's FSB security service opened a criminal case against Prigozhin for armed mutiny and said his statements were "calls for the start of an armed civil conflict on Russian territory."

Prigozhin has denied that he is trying to stage a military coup.

"We have arrived here [in Rostov], we want to receive the chief of the general staff and Shoigu. Unless they come, we'll be here, we'll blockade the city of Rostov and head for Moscow," he said in a video from Russia's Southern Military District headquarters.

Army Lieutenant-General Vladimir Alekseyev issued a video appeal asking Prigozhin to reconsider his actions.

"Only the president has the right to appoint the top leadership of the armed forces, and you are trying to encroach on his authority," he said.

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Cover image: Stringer/Reuters

An explosion was heard near the Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don on Saturday, BNO news reported.

The traffic on the Moscow River is temporarily suspended, TASS reported on Saturday.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by telephone on Saturday, Tokayev's office said, and described the events in Russia as its internal affair while saying rule of law was necessary to maintain order.

Putin briefed Tokayev on the situation in Russia, the Kazakh president's office said, and thanked him for the understanding Kazakhstan has expressed.

Massive fire erupted at an oil depot in Russia's Voronezh, regional Governor Alexander Gusev said on Saturday, adding that over 100 firefighters and 30 vehicles are on site to extinguish the blaze. Currently there are no reports of injuries or casualties.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's accusation of "treason," saying members of the private military group are "patriots."

Wagner group responded to an address by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday in a post on Telegram.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Saturday his forces were ready to help put down a mutiny by Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and to use harsh methods if necessary.

Kadyrov in a statement called Prigozhin's behavior "a knife in the back" and called on Russian soldiers not to give in to any "provocations."

Russia's Voronezh region governor Alexander Gusev said Russian military undertaking operations amid Wagner mutiny counter-terrorist operation.

In the Voronezh region, the Russian armed forces are carrying out the necessary operational and combat measures, the governor said.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Saturday called on Russians to rally around Russian President Vladimir Putin, after what Putin called an "armed mutiny" by the Wagner mercenary group.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and informed him about "events in Russia," according to the Belarusian presidency.

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. 

In response to Putin's remarks, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio note that the president "was deeply mistaken" in calling him a traitor, saying that members of the private military group are "patriots." 

Putin said he would do everything to protect Russia, and that "decisive action" would be taken to stabilize the situation in Rostov-on-Don, a southern city where Prigozhin said his forces had taken control of all military installations. 

Prigozhin, 62, 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. 

Putin warned that "all those who deliberately stepped on the path of betrayal, who prepared an armed insurrection, who took the path of blackmail and terrorist methods, will suffer inevitable punishment, will answer both to the law and to our people."

The Wagner chief vowed that he and his men would not turn themselves in on the orders of Putin.

The audio message marks the first time that Prigozhin has directly spoken out against the Russian president, the Guardian reported.

(With input from Reuters)

The deputies of the Russia's State Duma stand "for the consolidation of forces and support President Vladimir Putin," Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin said on Saturday.

The Wagners should make "the only correct choice and be on the side of the law," he said.

All mass events have been canceled in the Tver region for the weekend and Kaliningrad region until June 26 for security reasons, TASS reported on Saturday, citing local authorities.

Polish President Andrzej Duda held consultations with the prime minister and defense ministry on Saturday about the situation in Russia, according to a tweet he posted, adding that Warsaw was monitoring the situation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the response will be harsh and decisive actions have been taken to stabilize situation in Rostov-on-don.

The Wagner rebellion is "stab in the back" to Russia, added Putin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that "we are facing a treason" and will take decisive actions to stabilize the situation in Rostov-on-Don.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is speaking now after a dramatic escalation overnight as Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russia's Wagner private military group, is being investigated for armed mutiny.

A Russian security source told Reuters on Saturday that Wagner Group fighters had taken control of all military facilities in the city of Voronezh, around 500 km (310 miles) south of Moscow. 

Russian security forces have stormed the Wagner group’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, RIA news agency reported on Saturday.

All public events have been canceled in Moscow, said Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Saturday.  

All city services work in full, movement around the city is not difficult, he added. 

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russia's Wagner group, claimed in a video on Saturday that he and his troops have reached Rostov-on-Don and taken control of the military headquarters and an aerodrome in the Russian city.

Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement addressed to Wagner Group fighters on Saturday that they had been "deceived and dragged into a criminal adventure" by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.

In a statement posted on Telegram, the ministry urged Wagner fighters to contact its representatives and those of law enforcement services, and promised to guarantee their security. 

Russia's anti-terrorist committee has said a counter-terrorist operation has begun in Moscow, Moscow region and Voronezh region, RIA news agency reported on Saturday. 

AFP is reporting that the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has said his 25,000 forces are "ready to die" to topple Russia's military leaders. Prigozhin had earlier vowed to retaliate, after accusing the Russian military of targeting his forces with a missile strike. The mayor of Moscow said anti-terrorist measures are being taken to reinforce security, and additional checks on roads have been introduced.

Street views in Russia's Rostov-on-Don on June 24 after Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin vows to go "all the way" against the Russian military. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a televised address soon, Russian media reported citing Kremlin spokesman.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russia's Wagner private military group, is now inside Russia's Southern District Military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, according to a video message he posted on Telegram.

He also claimed that all military sites in Rostov-on-Don including an aerodrome are now under the Wagner group's control.

Planes taking part in the Ukraine offensive "are leaving as normal" from the airfield, he said. "We took (the aerodrome) under control so that the attack aviation did not strike us, but strike Ukrainians," Prigozhin said.

In another video, posted by the pro-Wagner Telegram channel "Razgruzka Wagnera," Prigozhin was seen sitting between two senior generals, one of them Army Lieutenant-General Vladimir Alekseyev, who had earlier issued a video urging Prigozhin to reconsider his declared drive to oust the top Russian brass.

Prigozhin said the Wagner fighters will blockade Rostov-on-Don and head for Moscow unless Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov come to meet him. 

The M4 highway connecting Moscow and Rostov has been closed at the border between Lipetsk and Voronezh regions, the Lipetsk governor said earlier. 

(With input from agencies)

Russia's FSB security service has opened a criminal case against Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russia's Wagner private military group, for calling for armed mutiny, Russian media reported on Friday, citing the National Antiterrorism Committee.

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.

All public events that were scheduled for the weekend in Russia's Rostov-on-Don have been cancelled, Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev said on Saturday.

 Wagner private military group tanks have surrounded the Defense Ministry building in Rostov-on-Don in Russia, local media reported.

Neither Wagner nor the local government has commented on the reports.

Anti-terrorist measures are being taken to reinforce security in Moscow, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Saturday.

"Additional controls on the roads have been introduced. It is possible to limit the holding of public events. Please consider the measures taken with understanding," he wrote on Telegram.  

The chief of Wagner private military group said on Saturday that his 25,000-strong force was "ready to die" as he vowed to topple Russia's military leadership.

"All of us are ready to die. All 25,000, and then another 25,000," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a new audio message. "We are dying for the Russian people." 

The government of Russia's Voronezh region, which borders Ukraine, stated early on Saturday that a convoy of military equipment is moving along the M-4 Don road and the situation is under control.

"The power structures of the region are taking all necessary measures to ensure the public safety of the region," it said in a statement. 

Russian authorities in the Lipetsk region south of Moscow said they tightened security measures early Saturday, after the chief of Russia's Wagner private military group said his forces had crossed the border from Ukraine.

"A decision has been taken to reinforce security measures in the region," said Governor Igor Artamonov. "I ask everyone to remain calm."

The region of Lipetsk is located around 400 kilometers south of Moscow. 

The governor of southern Russia's Rostov region, which sits on the border with Ukraine, told residents early on Saturday to remain calm and stay indoors, as the leader of the Wagner private military group led what Russia called a mutiny against the Moscow defense establishment.

"Law enforcement agencies are doing everything necessary to ensure the safety of residents of the area. I ask everyone to stay calm and not to leave home unless necessary," Vassily Golubev said in a message on his Telegram channel just before 4 a.m. local time.

Earlier, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said his forces have entered Russia from Ukraine and are now in Rostov.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russia's Wagner private military group, has claimed his forces have downed a Russian military helicopter, AFP reported on Saturday.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russia's Wagner private military group, vowed on Saturday to go "all the way" against the Russian military, saying that his forces have entered Russia from Ukraine and are now in the city of Rostov.

In an audio recording posted on Telegram, Prigozhin said he and his men would destroy anyone who stood in their way after Russia on Friday accused him of calling for an armed mutiny.

Russia's FSB security service has opened a criminal case against Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russia's Wagner private military group, for calling for armed mutiny, Russian media reported on Friday, citing the National Antiterrorism Committee.

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 reports circulating on social media that the Russian Armed Forces carried out strikes on Wagner encampments and urged Wagner fighters to "stop the columns" and return to their deployment points.

Security has been stepped up around Moscow and in the city of Rostov near southeast Ukraine, Russian state media reported early on Saturday.

Russian Prosecutor-General Igor Krasnov has informed President Vladimir Putin about the criminal case against Prigozhin, TASS news agency reported citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. It added that senior Russian officials from the FSB as well as the defense and interior ministries are reporting to Putin on measures they are taking in response to the call for mutiny. 

(With input from agencies)