The Commander-in-Chief of the Aerospace Forces, Deputy Commander of the Russian group in Ukraine, Sergei Surovikin, turned to the Wagner PMC mercenaries and urged them not to aggravate the internal political situation. His video message is published in his Telegram channel by VGTRK reporter Andrey Rudenko. Surovikin said that he urgently arrived from the front line on the orders of the Ministry of Defense.
“Together with you, we have traveled a difficult and difficult path. We fought together, took risks, suffered losses, we won together. We are of the same blood. We are warriors. I urge you to stop, the enemy is only waiting for the internal political situation to worsen in our country. It is impossible to play into the hands of the enemy in this difficult time for the country. Before it is too late, and it is necessary, and it is necessary to do this – to obey the will and order of the popularly elected President of the Russian Federation. Stop the columns, return them to their places of deployment. Solve all problems only by peaceful means under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
The first deputy chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the RF Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseev, also turned to the Wagner PMC mercenaries.
“I can’t explain what is happening now, except as insanity … Such things will lead to huge losses … This is a coup d'état. Think again!
The FSB also urged not to make irreparable mistakes, to stop any forceful actions against the Russian people, not to carry out the criminal and treacherous orders of Yevgeny Prigozhin, and to take measures to detain him, reports RIA Novosti.
Earlier it became known that the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia opened a criminal case against Prigozhin E.V. (head of Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin) under Article 279 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – on the fact of "organizing an armed rebellion." A message about this was published in the official Telegram channel of the Prosecutor General's Office.
This crime is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 12 to 20 years.
On the evening of June 23, Prigozhin said that the Russian Defense Ministry launched rocket attacks on the rear camps of Wagner PMCs. He claims that Shoigu specially arrived in Rostov-on-Don to carry out an operation to destroy the Wagnerites. According to him, the head of the Defense Ministry blindly used gunners and helicopter pilots for this. Prigozhin promised to respond to the blow and "deal with those who destroy Russian soldiers." The Russian Defense Ministry denies strikes on the positions of PMC mercenaries, arguing that the messages spread by Prigozhin are not true.
The FSB and other security officials in Moscow were alerted, according to a source close to the special services of the BBC Russian Service. On the Don highway (Moscow-Voronezh-Rostov-on-Don road), the FSB and SOBR of the National Guard set up roadblocks. The officers on duty were ordered to open fire "in the event of a threat." In a number of police departments of the Rostov region, the “Fortress” plan was announced, the employees were alerted, the Baza Telegram channel and a source of the Rostov publication 161.RU in law enforcement agencies reported .