Wagner Group mercenaries seize Russia’s war HQ as warlord vows to march on Moscow in ‘coup’ against Putin

WAGNER GROUP mercenaries have seized the Russian military HQ for the Ukraine war as they vowed to march on Moscow. Vladimir Putin is today facing one of the biggest challenges to his leadership over his two decades in the Kremlin. AFPYevgeny Prigozhin inside the Russian military HQ in Rostov[/caption] ReutersWagner Group fighters on the ground in Rostov[/caption] ReutersWagner group fighters and a tank painted with a red ‘Z’ in Rostov[/caption] Putin’s former pal – known as his “chef” – Yevgeny Prigozhin announced he was inside the army headquarters in Rostov-on-Don. He claimed he was in control of the city’s military sites and vowed to march toward Moscow. Extraordinary pictures show the Russian military building surrounded by tanks and troops from the Wagner Group. Prigozhin and his private army had been fighting in Ukraine – but he had become a vocal critic of the Russian military leadership. Russia’s war in Ukraine has been disastrous – blighted by underequipped and undertrained soldiers. It is estimated up 220,000 Russians have died since Vlad invaded last February. And this grinding bloodbath appears to have seen Prigozhin turn on the top brass in Moscow. The warlord said his forces had crossed into Russia and vowed he and thousands of his fighters were “ready to die”. He called for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s top generals and defense minister Sergei Shoigu. And he accused Kremlin top brass of attacking his field camps in Ukraine. Prigozhin has long been thought to have ambitions of one-day taking control from Putin. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. Security was immediately ramped up in both Rostov and Moscow. The Wagner forces have played a crucial role in Russia’s war in Ukraine. They succeeded in taking the city where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place, Bakhmut. But Prigozhin has increasingly criticized Russian military brass – accusing them of incompetence and of starving his troops of weapons and ammunition. Russia’s army chief General Valery Gerasimov reportedly fled the headquarters shortly before Prigozhin arrived.  The Wagner leader defiantly demanded the head of Putin’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu and army chief  Gerasimov appear before him – or he would go to Moscow, with his forces already on the road. He appeared to seek their surrender. He was seen flanked by Putin’s humiliated deputy defence minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov making the demand. “We came here, we want the Chief of General Staff [Valery Gerasimov] and [defence Minister Sergei] Shoigu,” he told the deputy defence minister.  “Until they’re gone, we’re here, we’re blockading the city of Rostov and we’re going to Moscow.” Prigozhin said that Gerasimov had fled shortly before Wagner surrounded Russia’s war command HQ in Rostov-on-Don. The exasperated deputy defence minister told Prigozhin that Kyiv “will be  celebration with Champagne” at the coup bid. Prigozhin claimed early today that regular Russian troops are switching to his side in the coup bid. As his column marches on Moscow, he said: “Where the soldiers meet us, or Russian national guards and police, they wave their hands cheerfully. “Many of them say: ‘We want to go with you’. “There are already 60 or 70 people who joined us, although we have not gone far yet. “I think half of the army is ready to come with us.” He admitted fights had taken place “where the military leadership gave false information to the fighters”. VChK-OGPU Telegram channel claimed its sources reveal a revolt among regular officers in favour of coup leader Prigozhin. “A number of units of the Ministry of Defence that participated in the war are beginning to come under the command of Wagner. Entire corps. Shoigu and Gerasimov’s people are being removed.” But footage appeared to show Russian military helicopters had attacked the Wagner line in Voronezh region as it moved towards Moscow.  Two vehicles in the Prigozhin column were reported to have been hit.  Voronezh is 320 miles south of Moscow.  Anti-Putin war analyst Igor Strelkov warned that Russia faces chaos if Prigozhin comes to power in the Kremlin. It will “immediately cause” the “beginning of the process of disintegration of the Russian Federation” – with Chechnya breaking away leading to a new war. There would be “a short, but very dirty and bloody period of the dictatorship on the  Latin American model”. It would be “without rules and laws” based on criminality. More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online.Thesun.co.uk is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.