The founder of PMC Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, recorded another audio message as part of his call to rebellion. He stated that the Wagner PMC forces are ready to destroy everything that gets in their way. At the same time, he noted that the border guards, whom the PMC met on their way, go to them with “embraces”.
“The current situation today is that we were hit by a missile attack. After that, the helicopters worked. After that, artillery. The commands came from the Chief of the General Staff about the destruction of PMC Wagner, after a meeting with the Minister of Defense Shoigu, at which they made this decision to destroy the recalcitrant units that are ready to defend their homeland, but their asses are not.
At the moment, we have crossed state borders in all places. The border guards came out to meet and hugged our fighters. Now we are entering Rostov, a division of the Ministry of Defense (or rather, conscripts who were thrown to block our road). [They] stepped aside. We don't fight children, we don't kill children. Children are being killed. Shoigu throws untrained soldiers, including conscripts for the war. He put 18-year-old boys against us.
They all fit my grandchildren, so these guys will live and return to their mothers. We fight only with professionals. But if anyone gets in the way, we will destroy everything that gets in the way. We reach out to everyone. No need to spit in this hand. We're moving on. We go to the end. As for statements about arrests… This is brotherhood, this is justice, this is honor, this is conscience. What we have. And when you make statements, you don't have these feelings, you have destroyed these feelings. Therefore, you can understand nothing but betrayal.”
It is worth noting that so far there is no evidence of the entry of Wagner PMC forces into Rostov-on-Don.
Earlier, the Investigation Department of the FSB of Russia opened a criminal case against Prigozhin under Article 279 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – on the fact of "organizing an armed rebellion."
This crime is punishable by imprisonment for a term of 12 to 20 years.
On the evening of June 23, Prigozhin announced 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 .