Timeline of how the Russian mercenary uprising has progressed

After conquering a southern city overnight, mutinous Russian mercenary warriors advanced towards Moscow on Saturday. The Russian military fired on them from the air, but it didn’t seem to be able to halt their quick progress.

This timeline shows the progression of the past 24 hours’ worth of events.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the so-called Wagner private army, publishes a video on Friday that escalates his conflict with the military’s top brass in Russia and, for the first time, challenges the president’s main grounds for invading Ukraine.

– In a series of further audio recordings that were later uploaded to Telegram, Prigozhin claims that the Russian military’s “evil” behaviour “must be stopped” and that his Wagner mercenary group would lead a “march for justice” against the Russian military.

– In response, the FSB security agency of Russia files a criminal complaint against Prigozhin, claiming that he has issued a call for an armed uprising.

– General Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of Russia’s war in Ukraine, calls for the Wagner militia to stop defying the military hierarchy and go back to their barracks.

PRIGOZHIN claims his soldiers have crossed the border from Ukraine into Russia and are prepared to fight the Russian military “all the way” as of Saturday.

Wagner warriors have arrived in Rostov, a city in southern Russia, according to a Telegram audio recording by Prigozhin.

– According to the White House, it is keeping an eye on the situation between Russia and the Wagner force and will keep friends and partners updated on any changes.

– As it becomes apparent that Wagner troops have gained control of the city of Rostov, the governor of southern Russia’s Rostov province, which borders Ukraine, orders the populace to maintain calm and stay indoors.

– In a statement urging Wagner warriors to leave Prigozhin, the Russian Defence Ministry claims that they have been “deceived and dragged into a criminal adventure.”

Wagner fighters have taken over all military buildings in Voronezh, a city approximately 500 kilometres (300 miles) south of Moscow, according to a Russian security source who spoke to Reuters.

– In a televised speech, Putin promises to put an end to what he considers an armed revolt. He charges “treason” and a “stab in the back” on Prigozhin.

– Putin ally and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov says his troops are prepared to assist in quelling the Prigozhin uprising and employ severe measures if required.

– Statements from European nations stating that they are carefully following events in Russia include those from Britain, France, Germany, and Italy. Many other countries throughout the globe make similar announcements throughout the day.

– In a fast assault after conquering Rostov overnight, Russian military helicopters start fire on a column of rebel mercenaries who are now more than halfway towards Moscow.

– Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, claims that “Russia’s weakness is obvious” and that the longer Moscow retains soldiers and mercenaries in Ukraine, the more turmoil it will bring home.

According to the TASS news agency, Sergei Naryshkin, the director of Russia’s SVR foreign intelligence organisation, it is obvious that Prigozhin’s effort to disrupt society and spark a fratricidal civil war has failed.

– Vedomosti newspaper images show that Russian forces set up a machine gun post on the southwestern outskirts of Moscow.

Photographs also show armed police assembling at the M4 highway’s intersection with the Russian capital, which is being travelled by mutinous Wagner mercenaries.

– In a phone conversation with Putin, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan expressed his support for the Russian administration’s handling of the Wagner uprising, according to a statement from the Kremlin.

Erdogan reportedly asked Putin to act “with common sense,” according to a statement from Turkey.

A statement from Belarus affirms its solidarity with Russia.
– According to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, he has talked with the high representative for international affairs of the European Union and the G7 foreign ministers. The U.S., he says, will keep in contact with allies and partners “as the situation continues to develop”.

– According to the RIA news agency, Putin signs a bill allowing 30-day detentions for violating martial rule in areas where it has been enacted.

Wagner mercenaries have been given amnesty if they surrender their guns, “but they should do it quickly,” politician Pavel Krasheninnikov is quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.

– In a statement, Russia’s Foreign Ministry cautions Western nations from exploiting the Wagner group’s uprising “to achieve their Russophobic goals.”