Ukrainians adjust to life with a constant threat from airstrikes
KYIV, Ukraine — When the familiar siren sounded midmorning Friday, nobody in the penthouse terrace cafe looked up. A few minutes later, the hostess went from table to table, politely asking people to go inside. Laptops were snapped shut, tote bags were shouldered, lattes were poured from china cups into plastic glasses.
Ten minutes later, most of the patrons were settled on wooden benches in the building’s underground parking garage. There was no hurry or commotion. Laptops were reopened, coffees sipped through straws, chats resumed on smartphones. It was a seamless, routine exercise; a wartime habit that has become second nature.
After 16 months of conflict, the citizens of Ukraine’s capital have long become accustomed to daily air raid warnings.
Read the full story here.
KYIV, Ukraine — When the familiar siren sounded midmorning Friday, nobody in the penthouse terrace cafe looked up. A few minutes later, the hostess went from table to table, politely asking people to go inside. Laptops were snapped shut, tote bags were shouldered, lattes were poured from china cups into plastic glasses.
Ten minutes later, most of the patrons were settled on wooden benches in the building’s underground parking garage. There was no hurry or commotion. Laptops were reopened, coffees sipped through straws, chats resumed on smartphones. It was a seamless, routine exercise; a wartime habit that has become second nature.
After 16 months of conflict, the citizens of Ukraine’s capital have long become accustomed to daily air raid warnings.
Read the full story here.
Putin, citing ‘deadly threat’ to Russia, vows to quash armed rebellion
With Wagner mercenary fighters in control of key military installations in southern Russia, President Vladimir Putin on Saturday vowed to quash an armed rebellion that he said threatened to divide Russia, lead the country toward anarchy and undermine hard-won military gains in Ukraine.
Facing the biggest ever challenge of his presidency, Putin said the leaders of the attempted mutiny would “answer before the law and the people” and that “decisive actions” would be taken to stabilize the situation in Rostov-on-Don, the southern Russian city about 60 miles from the Ukraine border where Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the controversial head of the Wagner mercenary group, said on Saturday morning that his armed fighters had seized control of military buildings and facilities, including an airfield.
Rostov-on-Don is an important strategic command center for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Read more here.
With Wagner mercenary fighters in control of key military installations in southern Russia, President Vladimir Putin on Saturday vowed to quash an armed rebellion that he said threatened to divide Russia, lead the country toward anarchy and undermine hard-won military gains in Ukraine.
Facing the biggest ever challenge of his presidency, Putin said the leaders of the attempted mutiny would “answer before the law and the people” and that “decisive actions” would be taken to stabilize the situation in Rostov-on-Don, the southern Russian city about 60 miles from the Ukraine border where Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the controversial head of the Wagner mercenary group, said on Saturday morning that his armed fighters had seized control of military buildings and facilities, including an airfield.
Rostov-on-Don is an important strategic command center for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Read more here.
Who is Yevgeniy Prighozin, Wagner chief accused by Putin of ‘armed rebellion’?
Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin, the leader of the Kremlin-linked military contractor the Wagner Group who has long had close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, is now facing arrest after Putin accused him of mounting an insurrection against state military forces.
Internal tensions between Prigozhin and Russian military leaders have been simmering for months, though Prigozhin and Putin had carefully avoided directly criticizing each other. Prigozhin’s challenge to the Russian Defense Ministry has thrown Moscow into an unexpected crisis that threatens to undermine Putin’s war effort in Ukraine.
The 62-year-old Prigozhin is a Russian oligarch who emerged from the same wealthy and powerful circles as Putin. Born in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, Prigozhin spent 12 years in prison for a 1981 conviction on charges of robbery, fraud and the prostitution of minors.
Here’s what else to know about the Wagner Group leader.
Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin, the leader of the Kremlin-linked military contractor the Wagner Group who has long had close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, is now facing arrest after Putin accused him of mounting an insurrection against state military forces.
Internal tensions between Prigozhin and Russian military leaders have been simmering for months, though Prigozhin and Putin had carefully avoided directly criticizing each other. Prigozhin’s challenge to the Russian Defense Ministry has thrown Moscow into an unexpected crisis that threatens to undermine Putin’s war effort in Ukraine.
The 62-year-old Prigozhin is a Russian oligarch who emerged from the same wealthy and powerful circles as Putin. Born in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, Prigozhin spent 12 years in prison for a 1981 conviction on charges of robbery, fraud and the prostitution of minors.
Here’s what else to know about the Wagner Group leader.
Wagner Group chief Prigozhin says his fighters are turning back after their advance on Moscow plunged Russia into crisis
Mercenaries are halting their travel toward Moscow and turning back from the city, Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin said in an audio message Saturday. After a day of mounting tension in Russia as Prigozhin’s forces advanced in the direction of the capital, his statement appeared to signal a possible end to the immediate crisis.
Prigozhin said his forces had gotten within 200 kilometers of Moscow, and now “we turn our columns around and leave in the opposite direction to the field camps according to the plan.” The Washington Post could not immediately clarify his whereabouts. Prigozhin called his forces’ movement on Saturday — which began after Prigozhin called for Russians to join his campaign against President Vladimir Putin’s military leadership — a “march of justice.”
Follow more live updates here.
Mercenaries are halting their travel toward Moscow and turning back from the city, Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin said in an audio message Saturday. After a day of mounting tension in Russia as Prigozhin’s forces advanced in the direction of the capital, his statement appeared to signal a possible end to the immediate crisis.
Prigozhin said his forces had gotten within 200 kilometers of Moscow, and now “we turn our columns around and leave in the opposite direction to the field camps according to the plan.” The Washington Post could not immediately clarify his whereabouts. Prigozhin called his forces’ movement on Saturday — which began after Prigozhin called for Russians to join his campaign against President Vladimir Putin’s military leadership — a “march of justice.”
Follow more live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- The agreement for Prigozhin’s forces to turn around was brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who spoke with Putin before negotiating with Prigozhin, according to Belarusian state-owned news agency Belta. With security guarantees for Wagner Group on the table, Prigozhin agreed to stop his forces’ progress toward Moscow.
- Late Friday, Prigozhin called for Russians to join Wagner’s campaign after claiming that a Wagner camp in Ukraine had been attacked “from the rear” by Russia’s military. He also said he would march on Moscow unless he could confront his enemies in Russia’s Ministry of Defense. The Defense Ministry denied the accusations in a Telegram post, and state media suggested video of the strike had been staged.
- Signs of anxiety were clear across Russia on Saturday. The mayor of Moscow told the public not to go to work Monday, declaring it a day off for all nonessential workers and asking them to stay home.
More live updates here.
- The agreement for Prigozhin’s forces to turn around was brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who spoke with Putin before negotiating with Prigozhin, according to Belarusian state-owned news agency Belta. With security guarantees for Wagner Group on the table, Prigozhin agreed to stop his forces’ progress toward Moscow.
- Late Friday, Prigozhin called for Russians to join Wagner’s campaign after claiming that a Wagner camp in Ukraine had been attacked “from the rear” by Russia’s military. He also said he would march on Moscow unless he could confront his enemies in Russia’s Ministry of Defense. The Defense Ministry denied the accusations in a Telegram post, and state media suggested video of the strike had been staged.
- Signs of anxiety were clear across Russia on Saturday. The mayor of Moscow told the public not to go to work Monday, declaring it a day off for all nonessential workers and asking them to stay home.
More live updates here.
Here is the latest from Ukraine:
- Yevgeniy Prigozhin’s forces, which have augmented Russian troops in Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, took control of a Russian military facility before marching toward Moscow early Saturday, coming within about 120 miles of the capital.
- Prigozhin had called for Russians to join Wagner’s campaign late on Friday after claiming that a Wagner camp in Ukraine had been attacked “from the rear” by Russia’s military. The Defense Ministry denied the accusations in a Telegram post, and state media suggested video of the strike had been staged.
- It’s unlikely that the dust-up will have an impact on the battlefield, as there were few, if any, Wagner troops on the front lines, said Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program.
More live updates here.
- Yevgeniy Prigozhin’s forces, which have augmented Russian troops in Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, took control of a Russian military facility before marching toward Moscow early Saturday, coming within about 120 miles of the capital.
- Prigozhin had called for Russians to join Wagner’s campaign late on Friday after claiming that a Wagner camp in Ukraine had been attacked “from the rear” by Russia’s military. The Defense Ministry denied the accusations in a Telegram post, and state media suggested video of the strike had been staged.
- It’s unlikely that the dust-up will have an impact on the battlefield, as there were few, if any, Wagner troops on the front lines, said Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program.
More live updates here.
What just happened in Russia? The Wagner crisis, explained.
A fast-moving crisis unfolded in Russia on Saturday as Vladimir Putin faced an apparent insurrection from a former ally, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, and the Russian mercenary fighters he leads.
For the moment, things appear to be calming down, as the forces answering to Prigozhin, the Wagner Group chief, have halted their march toward Moscow and turned around. The development came after an agreement between Prigozhin and Putin was brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Criminal charges previously started against Prigozhin will be dropped, and the Wagner boss will go to Belarus, Peskov said.
Still, the dispute represents a significant challenge to Putin’s leadership, the potential loss of one of Putin’s most successful field commanders, and a possible shift in the course of the war in Ukraine.
Read a summary of what we know about the conflict here.
A fast-moving crisis unfolded in Russia on Saturday as Vladimir Putin faced an apparent insurrection from a former ally, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, and the Russian mercenary fighters he leads.
For the moment, things appear to be calming down, as the forces answering to Prigozhin, the Wagner Group chief, have halted their march toward Moscow and turned around. The development came after an agreement between Prigozhin and Putin was brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Criminal charges previously started against Prigozhin will be dropped, and the Wagner boss will go to Belarus, Peskov said.
Still, the dispute represents a significant challenge to Putin’s leadership, the potential loss of one of Putin’s most successful field commanders, and a possible shift in the course of the war in Ukraine.
Read a summary of what we know about the conflict here.
U.S. spies learned in mid-June Prigozhin was planning armed action in Russia
U.S. spy agencies picked up intelligence in mid-June indicating Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin was planning armed action against the Russian defense establishment — which he has long accused of bungling the war in Ukraine — and urgently informed the White House and other government agencies so they were not caught off guard, several U.S. officials said Saturday.
The exact nature and timing of Prigozhin’s plans were not clear until shortly before his stunning takeover of a military command and tank run toward Moscow on Friday and Saturday, officials said. But “there were enough signals to be able to tell the leadership … that something was up,” said one U.S. official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity. “So I think they were ready for it.”
Read the full story here.
U.S. spy agencies picked up intelligence in mid-June indicating Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin was planning armed action against the Russian defense establishment — which he has long accused of bungling the war in Ukraine — and urgently informed the White House and other government agencies so they were not caught off guard, several U.S. officials said Saturday.
The exact nature and timing of Prigozhin’s plans were not clear until shortly before his stunning takeover of a military command and tank run toward Moscow on Friday and Saturday, officials said. But “there were enough signals to be able to tell the leadership … that something was up,” said one U.S. official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity. “So I think they were ready for it.”
Read the full story here.
The road to Moscow: A visual timeline of Wagner’s rebellion
Russia was plunged into a crisis when the leader of the country’s biggest mercenary army, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, declared he would take down the Kremlin’s defense leadership. Prigozhin, who heads Wagner, a private military company that had been supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, announced that Russian forces had attacked a Wagner camp in Ukraine. He claimed to have mobilized 25,000 of the group’s fighters to march against the military elite in Moscow and called on Russian troops to join him.
Putin vowed to crush the rebellion.
But after marching through several cities on a sweeping path toward Moscow, Prigozhin published an audio recording claiming he was turning his forces around and returning to “field camps” in Ukraine. He said his troops had come within 200 kilometers (125 miles) of Moscow.
Here’s how the fast-moving events unfolded.
Russia was plunged into a crisis when the leader of the country’s biggest mercenary army, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, declared he would take down the Kremlin’s defense leadership. Prigozhin, who heads Wagner, a private military company that had been supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, announced that Russian forces had attacked a Wagner camp in Ukraine. He claimed to have mobilized 25,000 of the group’s fighters to march against the military elite in Moscow and called on Russian troops to join him.
Putin vowed to crush the rebellion.
But after marching through several cities on a sweeping path toward Moscow, Prigozhin published an audio recording claiming he was turning his forces around and returning to “field camps” in Ukraine. He said his troops had come within 200 kilometers (125 miles) of Moscow.
Here’s how the fast-moving events unfolded.
Uneasy calm returns to Russia in wake of armed revolt by Wagner Group
DNIPRO, Ukraine — A measure of calm returned to Russia on Sunday along with an air of uncertainty after President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine boomeranged back home with armed mutiny and a brief threat of civil war.
An emergency “anti-terrorist” decree remained in force in Moscow, but the Kremlin’s truce with mercenary leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin also appeared to hold after his Wagner Group forces withdrew from a regional military headquarters in southern Russia. The mercenaries seized key installations in Rostov-on-Don and other cities before embarking on a lightning blitz toward Moscow on Saturday.
The rebellious column reached just shy of the capital after a deal was worked out through an unlikely intermediary: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, whose country has become all but a client state of Russia. Earlier this month, Moscow said it stationed tactical nuclear weapons on its soil.
Read the full story here.
DNIPRO, Ukraine — A measure of calm returned to Russia on Sunday along with an air of uncertainty after President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine boomeranged back home with armed mutiny and a brief threat of civil war.
An emergency “anti-terrorist” decree remained in force in Moscow, but the Kremlin’s truce with mercenary leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin also appeared to hold after his Wagner Group forces withdrew from a regional military headquarters in southern Russia. The mercenaries seized key installations in Rostov-on-Don and other cities before embarking on a lightning blitz toward Moscow on Saturday.
The rebellious column reached just shy of the capital after a deal was worked out through an unlikely intermediary: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, whose country has become all but a client state of Russia. Earlier this month, Moscow said it stationed tactical nuclear weapons on its soil.
Read the full story here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- The leader of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, is expected to go to Belarus under a deal brokered by the Belarusian president, putting an end to a shocking, albeit short-lived, challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority.
- U.S. spy agencies this month picked up intelligence suggesting that Prigozhin was planning armed action against Russia’s defense establishment. The White House and officials in the Pentagon and the State Department, as well as leaders in Congress, were informed of the development, as instability from a “civil war” would be a concern to the United States, officials said.
- The incident has exposed deep fissures in Putin’s regime — particularly among members of Russia’s elite who may have agreed with Prigozhin’s increasingly vocal criticism of the war and how it was being run.
More live updates here.
- The leader of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, is expected to go to Belarus under a deal brokered by the Belarusian president, putting an end to a shocking, albeit short-lived, challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority.
- U.S. spy agencies this month picked up intelligence suggesting that Prigozhin was planning armed action against Russia’s defense establishment. The White House and officials in the Pentagon and the State Department, as well as leaders in Congress, were informed of the development, as instability from a “civil war” would be a concern to the United States, officials said.
- The incident has exposed deep fissures in Putin’s regime — particularly among members of Russia’s elite who may have agreed with Prigozhin’s increasingly vocal criticism of the war and how it was being run.
More live updates here.
Ukrainian forces retake ‘several’ areas of Donetsk, military official says
KYIV, Ukraine — A Ukrainian military spokesman said Saturday that Kyiv’s forces liberated “several positions” in the Donetsk region in the country’s east, recapturing territory that had been under control of Russian forces and Moscow-backed separatists since hostilities broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
“They captured several positions near Krasnohorivka, as a result of a well-prepared assault,” Valeriy Shershen, an armed forces spokesman in eastern Ukraine, was quoted as saying by the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne. Shershen was speaking on national television.
Krasnohorivka is located in the Donetsk region, about 20 miles to the west of the city of Donetsk, which Russian forces occupy.
Read more here.
KYIV, Ukraine — A Ukrainian military spokesman said Saturday that Kyiv’s forces liberated “several positions” in the Donetsk region in the country’s east, recapturing territory that had been under control of Russian forces and Moscow-backed separatists since hostilities broke out in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
“They captured several positions near Krasnohorivka, as a result of a well-prepared assault,” Valeriy Shershen, an armed forces spokesman in eastern Ukraine, was quoted as saying by the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne. Shershen was speaking on national television.
Krasnohorivka is located in the Donetsk region, about 20 miles to the west of the city of Donetsk, which Russian forces occupy.
Read more here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- The short-lived rebellion by Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin has forced a closer examination of Putin’s hold on power. Russia’s political system is “showing its fragilities, and the military power is cracking,” said Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry published a video Monday claiming to show Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspecting a command post in Ukraine. It was not immediately clear when or where the footage was recorded.
- The brief rebellion in Russia “raises profound questions” about the country’s stability, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
- Australia announced a new assistance package to Ukraine that includes 70 military vehicles and ammunition. The package, worth 110 million Australian dollars, or about $75 million, “demonstrates that Ukraine can count on Australia,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
More live updates here.
- The short-lived rebellion by Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin has forced a closer examination of Putin’s hold on power. Russia’s political system is “showing its fragilities, and the military power is cracking,” said Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief.
- Russia’s Defense Ministry published a video Monday claiming to show Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu inspecting a command post in Ukraine. It was not immediately clear when or where the footage was recorded.
- The brief rebellion in Russia “raises profound questions” about the country’s stability, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
- Australia announced a new assistance package to Ukraine that includes 70 military vehicles and ammunition. The package, worth 110 million Australian dollars, or about $75 million, “demonstrates that Ukraine can count on Australia,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
More live updates here.
U.S. spies learned in mid-June Prigozhin was planning armed action in Russia
U.S. spy agencies picked up intelligence in mid-June indicating Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin was planning armed action against the Russian defense establishment — which he has long accused of bungling the war in Ukraine — and urgently informed the White House and other government agencies so they were not caught off guard, several U.S. officials said Saturday.
The exact nature and timing of Prigozhin’s plans were not clear until shortly before his stunning takeover of a military command and tank run toward Moscow on Friday and Saturday, officials said. But “there were enough signals to be able to tell the leadership … that something was up,” said one U.S. official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity. “So I think they were ready for it.”
Read the full story here.
U.S. spy agencies picked up intelligence in mid-June indicating Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin was planning armed action against the Russian defense establishment — which he has long accused of bungling the war in Ukraine — and urgently informed the White House and other government agencies so they were not caught off guard, several U.S. officials said Saturday.
The exact nature and timing of Prigozhin’s plans were not clear until shortly before his stunning takeover of a military command and tank run toward Moscow on Friday and Saturday, officials said. But “there were enough signals to be able to tell the leadership … that something was up,” said one U.S. official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the matter’s sensitivity. “So I think they were ready for it.”
Read the full story here.
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Russian leaders try to reassert control after mercenary rebellion
RIGA, Latvia — Russia’s embattled leadership tried to demonstrate control on Monday after the bruising, chaotic mutiny by Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenary group, airing a video of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visiting a command post, while the Kremlin released video of a recorded address by President Vladimir Putin to young engineers.
It was not clear when the video address by Putin was recorded, leaving questions about his whereabouts still swirling as Russians grappled with the aftermath of the crisis. Other key figures in the crisis remained out of sight.
Shoigu’s exact whereabouts and the timing of the video released by the Ministry of Defense also were not clear. Russian media reported that it was prerecorded, likely on Friday before the Wagner rebellion.
Read the full story here.
RIGA, Latvia — Russia’s embattled leadership tried to demonstrate control on Monday after the bruising, chaotic mutiny by Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenary group, airing a video of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visiting a command post, while the Kremlin released video of a recorded address by President Vladimir Putin to young engineers.
It was not clear when the video address by Putin was recorded, leaving questions about his whereabouts still swirling as Russians grappled with the aftermath of the crisis. Other key figures in the crisis remained out of sight.
Shoigu’s exact whereabouts and the timing of the video released by the Ministry of Defense also were not clear. Russian media reported that it was prerecorded, likely on Friday before the Wagner rebellion.
Read the full story here.
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Officials question whether truce will hold in Kremlin, Wagner standoff
As the dust settled on the most serious challenge in decades to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority, Washington and its allies struggled to make sense of a head-spinning series of historic events that saw mercenary forces race up a highway to within 120 miles of Moscow on Saturday, then abruptly turn back after their leader, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, agreed to stand down and go to Belarus for an uncertain exile.
On Sunday, intelligence officials and diplomats — unsure if they had just witnessed an aborted coup or a thwarted mutiny — were left to parse official Kremlin statements and re-watch blurry videos posted on Telegram, the social network that Prigozhin has used to try to convince the Russian people that the war in Ukraine has been a strategic disaster led by incompetent commanders and political sycophants.
Read the full the story here.
As the dust settled on the most serious challenge in decades to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority, Washington and its allies struggled to make sense of a head-spinning series of historic events that saw mercenary forces race up a highway to within 120 miles of Moscow on Saturday, then abruptly turn back after their leader, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, agreed to stand down and go to Belarus for an uncertain exile.
On Sunday, intelligence officials and diplomats — unsure if they had just witnessed an aborted coup or a thwarted mutiny — were left to parse official Kremlin statements and re-watch blurry videos posted on Telegram, the social network that Prigozhin has used to try to convince the Russian people that the war in Ukraine has been a strategic disaster led by incompetent commanders and political sycophants.
Read the full the story here.
Wagner Group chief Prigozhin resurfaces, saying mercenaries rebelled to fight being absorbed into regular military
Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who sent a convoy of mercenary fighters toward Moscow over the weekend in an extraordinary challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority, posted an 11-minute audio statement on Monday claiming he launched the rebellion after Russian forces killed 30 of his fighters. They were his first remarks since accepting a deal to avoid prosecution and withdrawing his fighters on Saturday.
The success of Wagner’s rapid advance toward Moscow suggests that the group should have been responsible for the drive to take Kyiv in the early days of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Prigozhin said.
Prigozhin did not reveal his location. He did not discuss his reported acceptance of exile in Belarus.
More live updates here.
Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin, who sent a convoy of mercenary fighters toward Moscow over the weekend in an extraordinary challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority, posted an 11-minute audio statement on Monday claiming he launched the rebellion after Russian forces killed 30 of his fighters. They were his first remarks since accepting a deal to avoid prosecution and withdrawing his fighters on Saturday.
The success of Wagner’s rapid advance toward Moscow suggests that the group should have been responsible for the drive to take Kyiv in the early days of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Prigozhin said.
Prigozhin did not reveal his location. He did not discuss his reported acceptance of exile in Belarus.
More live updates here.
Here's the latest from Ukraine:
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has paid tribute to “fallen heroes-pilots” in his first public address since the mutiny led by Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin over the weekend. He lauded “the courage and self-sacrifice” of Russian military pilots who were killed while countering the Wagner rebellion.
- Prigozhin said the rebellion was a “march of justice” after Russian forces killed 30 of his fighters, claiming that most Wagner members had refused to sign contracts with Russia’s Defense Ministry.
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of “profound questions” about Russia’s stability, saying Wagner mutiny highlighted “cracks” in Putin’s military regime.
- President Zelensky visited front-line troops in the Donetsk region on Monday. He touted “advances on all sides” against Russian defenses.
- Ukrainian forces recaptured the southeastern village of Rivnopil from Russian forces, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said.
More live updates here.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has paid tribute to “fallen heroes-pilots” in his first public address since the mutiny led by Wagner Group leader Yevgeniy Prigozhin over the weekend. He lauded “the courage and self-sacrifice” of Russian military pilots who were killed while countering the Wagner rebellion.
- Prigozhin said the rebellion was a “march of justice” after Russian forces killed 30 of his fighters, claiming that most Wagner members had refused to sign contracts with Russia’s Defense Ministry.
- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of “profound questions” about Russia’s stability, saying Wagner mutiny highlighted “cracks” in Putin’s military regime.
- President Zelensky visited front-line troops in the Donetsk region on Monday. He touted “advances on all sides” against Russian defenses.
- Ukrainian forces recaptured the southeastern village of Rivnopil from Russian forces, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said.
More live updates here.
Belarusian dictator Lukashenko’s unlikely cameo as mediator with Wagner
A weekend of chaos in Russia yielded few winners. Russian President Vladimir Putin is politically wounded, mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin is in serious trouble and the rest of the world has been left shaken by the sight of a nuclear power appearing to teeter haplessly on the brink.
But if there is one person who seems to have had a good rebellion, it is Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, a Putin ally who suddenly took center stage, claiming credit for brokering a truce and saving Russia from an even bigger mess.
As the world waits to see what happens next, questions about Lukashenko’s unusual cameo grow. Though much is still uncertain — including just how big his role was — what is clear, analysts said, is that the dictator will use this moment to try to burnish his image and cement his status as a Putin loyalist par excellence.
Read the full story here.
A weekend of chaos in Russia yielded few winners. Russian President Vladimir Putin is politically wounded, mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin is in serious trouble and the rest of the world has been left shaken by the sight of a nuclear power appearing to teeter haplessly on the brink.
But if there is one person who seems to have had a good rebellion, it is Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, a Putin ally who suddenly took center stage, claiming credit for brokering a truce and saving Russia from an even bigger mess.
As the world waits to see what happens next, questions about Lukashenko’s unusual cameo grow. Though much is still uncertain — including just how big his role was — what is clear, analysts said, is that the dictator will use this moment to try to burnish his image and cement his status as a Putin loyalist par excellence.
Read the full story here.