The whereabouts of Russian President, Vladimir Putin, on Saturday, was thrown into question after an aircraft belonging to the presidency was spotted flying from Moscow to St Petersburg, according to Flight Radar.
According to numerous reports, Vladimir Putin’s presidential plane took off from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport at 2:16pm local time (1216 BST) and then headed north-west.
Data from the Flight Radar tracking website showed the plane reached the Tver area – about 110 miles from Moscow and where Putin has a residence – before disappearing from the system.
However, Dmitry Peskov, his spokesperson, denied Putin has fled the capital and told reporters the president “is working at the Kremlin.”
Recall that Wagner’s armed rebellion is racing towards Moscow after the mercenary group’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin took control of the military headquarters in Russian cities Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don.
Prigozhin has said his forces have been attacked by artillery and helicopters since he launched his mutiny.
Putin however said an “armed mutiny” by Yevgeny Prigozhin was treason and a “mortal blow” to Russia’s troops.
Wagner’s armed rebellion is racing towards Moscow after the mercenary group’s leader, Prigozhin took control of the military headquarters in Russian cities Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don.
Prigozhin has said his forces have been attacked by artillery and helicopters since he launched his mutiny.
Putin said an “armed mutiny” by Yevgeny Prigozhin was treason and a “mortal blow” to Russia’s troops.
Meanwhile, mercenary fighters barrelled towards Moscow on Saturday after seizing a southern city overnight, with Russia’s military firing on them from the air but seemingly incapable of slowing their lightning advance.
READ ALSO : Crisis: Russian Mercenary Leader, Prigozhin Vows To ‘Punish’ President Putin’s Military Chiefs
The fighters of the Wagner private army run by former Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin were already most of the way to the capital, having captured the city of Rostov and set off on an 1,100 km (680 mile) race to Moscow.
Reuters saw troop carriers and a flatbed truck carrying a tank careening past the city of Voronezh more than half way to Moscow, where a helicopter fired on them. But there were no reports of the rebels meeting any substantial resistance on the highway.
Russian media showed pictures of small groups of police manning machine gun positions on Moscow’s southern outskirt. Authorities in the Lipetsk region south of the capital told residents to stay home.
Prigozhin says his men are on a “march for justice” to remove corrupt and incompetent commanders he blames for botching the war in Ukraine.
In a televised address from the Kremlin, Putin said Russia’s very existence was 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,” he said.
“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.”
Defiant Prigozhin swiftly replied that he and his men had no intention of turning themselves in.
“The president makes a deep mistake when he talks about treason. We are patriots of our motherland, we fought and are fighting for it.
“We don’t want the country to continue to live in corruption, deceit and bureaucracy,” Prigozhin said in an audio message.
Prigozhin, whose private army fought the bloodiest battles in Ukraine even as he feuded for months with the top brass, said he had captured the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District in Rostov without firing a shot.
Tensions rise in Russia as the Southern Russian Military District Headquarters in Rostov is surrounded by armed military personnel loyal to Wagner. The surrounding military personnel, which includes tanks pointing towards the headquarters, are elements of Wagner group but also some of the soldiers are wearing Russian National Guard patches accompanied by National Guard/Military trucks.
Many soldiers have confirmed to be a part of Wagner group. This most likely indicates that factions of the Russian military as well as the National Guard, which is the MOST LOYAL to Putin, have DEFECTED to Wagner as part of the ongoing coup. Furthermore, the Southern Russian Military District has NUCLEAR WEAPONS within it’s realm of responsibility.
Now this does not mean that they’re easily accessible, however it does mean that too much chaos in the chain of command could POTENTIALLY have a very sinister outcome. We’ve also received UNCONFIRMED reports of multiple Defense Ministry units involved in the Ukraine war are moving under Prigozhin’s command, with commanders Shoigu and Gerasimov (both loyal to Putin and report directly to the President) reportedly being removed from power. What is also rather concerning is that we’ve heard nothing NOTHING from Putin.
Could this mean that both Wagner and factions of the Russian military and National Guard have colluded in order to pull of this ongoing and rapidly evolving coup? The repercussions of this would be unimaginable, as if successful, Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, would gain a considerable amount of power, possibly even NUCLEAR power.
WAGNER ATTEMPTS COUP IN RUSSIA Here’s EVERYTHING We Know So Far: COULD THIS COUP SUCCEED: WAGNER ATTEMPTS COUP IN RUSSIA Everything started when Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, accused Russia of bombing his military sites in Ukraine.
READ ALSO :Breaking: Ongoing Coup, Putin Terrifies, Adresses Russian Nation
Despite the Russian Defense Ministry’s claim that there is no truth to his allegation, Prigozhin stated that 25,000 mercenaries would participate in a military coup organized by him.
Wagner with National Guard & Russian Military TAKE OVER Russian Military HQ In Rostov Igor Girkin, a former member of the Russian Federal Security Service, confirmed that the military coup attempt “had begun,” and now we know he wasn’t lying.
Wagner has confirmed that they have indeed initiated their coup. Here’s EVERYTHING We Know So Far: – Reports the Federal Security Service (FSB) has allowed Wagner to enter Russian city of Rostov without any resistance.
This JUST came in and could mean the FSB is part of the coup, OR they are trying to save face after Wagner was able to enter without resistance.
Prigozhin JUST CLAIMED the Russian “Chief of the General Staff Gerasimov gave the command to open fire from aircraft on Wagner columns mixed with civilian vehicles.
The pilots refused to follow the order” – Roadblocks have been established by the FSB & SOBR on the Moscow-Voronezh-Rostov-on-Don highway. – Wagner has accused any Russian military personnel who don’t assist them in their “cleansing campaign” of collaborating with the Ukrainians and stated that they will be dealt with accordingly.
Multiple Russian military generals have made videos urging Wagner not to proceed with this attack. – The OMON and SOBR units of the Russian Guard are on high alert, and security in Moscow has been significantly intensified.
Allegedly, a clash has occurred between Wagner and units of the Rosgvardia on the Rostov-Moscow highway, near Kozachi Laheri. – It is estimated that only 25% of Russians currently have access to the internet. – Armed vehicles have filled the streets of Rostov, and dozens of aircraft filled with Russian special forces are flying to the region.
According to Russia’s defense ministry, Ukraine has “taken advantage of Prigozhin’s provocation to destabilize the situation” and is attacking Russia’s forces along the flanks. – Russia’s Ministry Of Defense has REPEATEDLY asked Wagner to stand down.
Russian media has reported that “there is panic in the Kremlin; no one can reach Putin” and that the current mood among St. Petersburg elites is “When choosing between Putin and Prigozhin, Prigozhin is now the preferred choice. They support him.”
Prigozhin says he and his men are ready to go “all the way” and that “he and his men will destroy anyone who stands in their way.” – Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov: Putin receives reports 24/7 about the measures taken related to the attempt of an armed rebellion This situation is INSANE and is bound to have MAJOR repercussions.
COULD THIS COUP SUCCEED: Without support from within the Kremlin, this will not succeed. We have received reports of various members of the Russian military that are turning against the Kremlin, or standing by and watching the developments.
We have also heard that Wagner was able to enter the Russian city of Rostov with NO RESISTANCE. Rostov’s main city is home to the headquarters of the Russian Southern Military District and the general headquarters for the Russian military operations in Ukraine. We do NOT think this will succeed and I think this is Prigozhin’s desperate response after learning or his potential arrest.
Prigozhin has been likely planning this for a long time, smuggling Russian weapons to his forces and building alliances from within the Kremlin.
There is an ongoing investigation by the Ministry of Defense into these allegations, and we’re heard reports that an assassination attempt against Prigozhin took place , likely leading to this response.
