Wagner Commander: We Are Heading to Moscow; Russia is Drowning in Corruption and Deceit

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, said on Saturday that he has sent an armed convoy of his mercenaries to Moscow with the intent of overthrowing the Russian military leadership. This comes as Wagner mercenaries claim to have taken control of the city of Rostov, which is considered one of the key logistical centers for the Russian army near the Ukrainian border. He warned, "Those who destroy our youth, who destroy the lives of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers, will be punished. I suggest no one resist." Prigozhin added, "We are 25,000 strong and want to understand why chaos is happening in the country." He further warned that the Wagner group is ready to go "to the end" against senior military officials and will destroy anyone who stands in their way. The Wagner commander stated that his actions are not a military coup. Prigozhin said, "The president is making a grave mistake when he speaks of treason. We are patriots of our homeland; we fought for it and we are fighting for it." He added, "We do not want the country to continue living in corruption, deceit, and bureaucracy." In his first reaction to the unrest in Russia, which escalated on Friday with the advance of Wagner forces into Rostov, President Vladimir Putin accused Prigozhin of "treason" without naming him and described the group's "rebellion" as a "deadly threat" to the state. Local Russian officials confirmed the existence of a convoy of soldiers on the main highway connecting southern Russia, bordering Ukraine, to Moscow, warning local residents to stay away from it. Earlier, Russian officials accused Prigozhin of initiating an armed rebellion and promised to punish him. In this regard, the Russian Federal Security Service announced that it has opened a criminal case against Prigozhin for armed rebellion, with a punishment of up to 20 years in prison. This is the biggest internal crisis in Russia since the beginning of Putin's campaign in Ukraine. Prigozhin, whose mercenaries played a key role in last month's capture of the city of Bakhmut, has for months openly accused Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief General Valery Gerasimov of incompetence and of preventing Wagner mercenaries from obtaining ammunition in the group's battles in Ukraine. In response to Prigozhin's accusations, the Russian Ministry of Defense called them incorrect and "an information provocation." On Friday, he also made an unprecedented statement claiming that Putin's justification for the invasion of Ukraine was based on lies concocted by senior military officials. What do we know about the Wagner group? The most serious challenge to Putin's long-standing regime. Global reactions to the crisis in Russia; Zelensky: Anyone who chooses "evil" will destroy themselves. Russia in crisis; the Chechen leader issued threats to the Wagner commander. Unrest in the Kremlin on Friday night; the Wagner commander accused the defense minister of treason and marched towards Moscow. The Wagner group claimed to have control of Rostov; Putin gave a speech.