Wagner chief says Russia 'retreating' - update 'raid on Moscow'

Tanks are in the streets of Moscow as Putin faces down his biggest threat ever. Prigozhin urged the Russian army not to resist.

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s army controls the military HQ in Rostov-on-Don, a city that runs Russian operations in Ukraine, UK’s MoD said. “This is not a military coup, but a march of justice,” he said. Prigozhin has 25,000 battle hardened troops under his command.

He posted video of himself at the military headquarters and claimed his forces had taken control. Wagner troops also were in Lipetsk province, about 360 km (225 miles) south of Moscow. Igor Girkin, a former leader of Russian proxy forces in Ukraine who now writes on Telegram, said Prigozhin was “throwing the most combat-ready shock troops into a raid on Moscow”. It is exactly 16 months after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

A tipping point seems to be approaching. Taking advantage of incendiary comments from Wagner chief Prigozhin, Twitter is buzzing with reports of an offensive and Ukraine troops in Bakhmut streets taking prisoners. "We are washing ourselves in blood. No one is bringing reserves. What they tell us is the deepest deception," Prigozhin added, referring to the Russian military and political leadership. "Why did the special military operation begin? ... the war was needed for the self-promotion of a bunch of bastards." Fighting has also increased in occupied parts of Ukraine's south and east, including strikes behind enemy lines.

Russia said it would prosecute Yevgeny Prigozhin for armed mutiny after he accused military leaders of killing 2,000 of his fighters. Missle strikes on a Wagner base are being blamed on the Russian army. Wagner led Russia's capture of Bakhmut, Russia's only victory in 10 months. Prigozhin has, for months, openly accused Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russia's top general Valery Gerasimov of incompetence.