Prigozhin's push to Moscow from Rostov-on-Don
June 24, 2023
The head of the Wagner mercenary group said June 24 that his fighters had occupied key military sites in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.
"Under our control are military objects of Rostov, including the airport," Yevgeny Prigozhin said in a video released on Saturday morning. His claims, however, could not be independently verified.
Why is Rostov-on-Don significant?
Just 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the Ukrainian border, Rostov-on-Don is the largest city in southern Russia. With a population of over 1 million, it is the capital of the Rostov region that adjoins parts of eastern Ukraine. The city is located along the main route between the border with Ukraine's Donbas region and Moscow, around 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) to the north.
The city is a crucial command and logistical hub for the Russian army. It houses the headquarters of the Russian Southern Military District, whose 58th Combined Arms Army is engaged in operations against Kyiv's counteroffensive in southern Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Rostov-on-Don is also the home base for the command center for the Russian Joint Group of Forces in Ukraine as a whole. Any threats to the military installations in the city are likely to have an impact on Russia's war efforts.
DW International Correspondent Roman Goncharenko said the reports of a Wagner Group mutiny could be a turning point for Russia.
"Taking control of Rostov-on-Don, or at least part of Rostov-on-Don where the headquarters of the Russian army is, is an unprecedented move and it shows how weak the Russian military is," he said.
From Rostov-on-Don to Voronezh: the road to Moscow
On Saturday, Wagner forces were reportedly moving north through the Voronezh Oblast region. British intelligence sources, who observed the movements, were quoted as saying they were "almost certainly aiming to get to Moscow."
Videos circulating on social media allegedly showed fighting and shelling in Voronezh, but could not be independently verified. The city is on the M-4 highway heading north from Rostov-on-Don toward Moscow. It is about 500 kilometers away from the Russian capital.
Further north, in the Lipetsk region, 300 kilometers south of Moscow, the local governor reported on Telegram that Wagner mercenaries had entered the region.
"Hardware of the Wagner mercenary group is moving across the territory of Lipetsk region, said Governor Igor Artamonov.
Meanwhile, in Moscow the mayor issued a statement telling residents to avoid unnecessary travel and declared that Monday would not be a working day for most people.
"In order to minimize risks, I, within the framework of the operational headquarters, decided to declare Monday a non-working day," Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram.
Russian authorities also announced that they had closed the main highway running from Moscow to the south in a bid to block the advance of "Prigozhin's mutineers."
Edited by: Ben Knight