2023-06-25 04:36:29
6.50 p.m .: Scholz consults 45 minutes with the most important partners
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discussed developments in Russia this afternoon. The federal government also confirmed this. “They reaffirmed that they would continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary,” said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit. According to participants, the conversation lasted around 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan over the phone about the situation in Russia, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
6:15 p.m .: France warns against all trips to Russia
France advises against all travel to Russia. This warning applies in view of the high volatility of the military and security situation in the country, the Foreign Ministry said in Paris.
6:12 p.m .: Melnyk sees Putin’s regime before collapse
According to the former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, it is only a matter of time before Russian President Vladimir Putin is ousted. “With the Wagner putsch, the Rubicon was crossed and a new era of power decline and instability in Russia was heralded,” Melnyk told the news portal “t-online”.
Although Putin could succeed in crushing the uprising in a bloody manner and “restoring some degree of order,” that would “not protect the Kremlin from the impending internal chaos,” said Melnyk. “The total collapse of the bankrupt Putin regime is only a matter of time.”
5:50 p.m .: Moscow warns West
The Russian government has warned the West against trying to profit from the situation in Russia following the Wagner mercenary uprising. All attempts by western countries to achieve their “anti-Russian goals” would be “void,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in Moscow on Saturday. It also assured that “all the goals of the military special operation in Ukraine will be achieved”.
5:40 p.m.: Wagner mercenaries are already halfway to Moscow
According to the authorities, the Wagner mercenary unit has now reached the Lipetsk region on its way from Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia to Moscow during its armed uprising against the Russian leadership. “Residents are strongly advised not to leave their homes and refrain from using public transport,” wrote the governor of the region, Igor Artamonov, on his Telegram channel. But the situation is under control. Lipetsk is about halfway between Rostov and Moscow – around 400 kilometers from the Russian capital.
Unlike the Voronezh region further south, there were no reports of fighting. Videos showed trucks tipped into the ditch. Apparently they had been set up in a hurry as a roadblock to stop the column of the Wagner mercenary unit. Other videos showed how roads were torn up and deep trenches dug. This, too, was apparently intended to stop the mercenaries. The authenticity of the videos could not initially be independently confirmed.
5:35 p.m .: Moscow Mayor – Monday off work due to risks
Because of the uprising of the Wagner mercenary group against the Russian military leadership, public life in the capital Moscow is further restricted. “The situation is difficult,” admitted Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. He therefore called on residents to limit their movements as much as possible and declared next Monday a day off. This measure is aimed at “minimising the risks”. Sobyanin also called on Muscovites to prepare for road blockades.
5:24 p.m .: Medvedev warns of nuclear escalation
Russia’s ex-president Dmitry Medvedev has addressed the security of Russian nuclear weapons. The whole world would be on the brink of catastrophe if they fell into the hands of “bandits,” says President Vladimir Putin’s close ally, according to the RIA news agency.
5:20 p.m .: According to the Federal Foreign Office, G7 foreign ministers exchange information about Russia
Foreign Minister Baerbock discussed the situation with the G7 foreign ministers. In the late afternoon, the Federal Foreign Office wrote on Twitter that EU foreign policy representative Josep Borrell also took part in the switch.
The ministry had already adjusted the travel and safety instructions for German citizens in Russia in the morning. There it is now said that the affected areas and in particular the city of Rostov and its surroundings should be avoided.
5:07 p.m .: According to the Kremlin, Russia has Erdogan’s “full support”
According to the Kremlin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged his “full support” to Russian President Vladimir Putin in a telephone call about the armed uprising in Russia.
“The President of Russia informed about the situation in the country in connection with the attempted armed rebellion,” the Kremlin said. Erdogan “expressed his full support for the steps taken by the Russian leadership,” it said.
After the phone call, the Turkish presidency said Erdogan was ready to help find a “peaceful solution” to the armed uprising in Russia. Erdogan underlined the importance of “acting sensibly”. Erdogan survived an attempted coup in Turkey in 2016 and then cracked down on all government opponents.
4.45 p.m .: Melnyk sees a “unique opportunity” for a Ukrainian counter-offensive
Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Melnyk has spoken of a chance for his country in the war against Russia. “The Prigozhin uprising, no matter how it ends, offers a unique opportunity for the Ukrainian army to push our counter-offensive with renewed vigour,” the former ambassador to Germany told the editorial network Germany (RND).
“Unfortunately, this new fighting spirit alone will not be enough to liberate all the occupied territories.” Melnyk calls on “Germany first and foremost” to now significantly increase military aid. “We urgently need Taurus cruise missiles, we need Tiger attack helicopters to drive Russian troops away. The federal government should finally cross its last red lines.”
4.40 p.m .: Latvia tightens border security and suspends entry for Russians
In the face of the Wagner mercenary uprising in Russia, Latvia has tightened security on its borders. Latvia is closely following the situation in Russia, President-elect Edgars Rinkevics said on Twitter. “Border security has been strengthened,” continued Rinkevics, who is also currently Latvia’s foreign minister. In addition, the issuance of “humanitarian or other types of visas” and the entry of Russians from Russia into the Baltic country are suspended due to the current situation.
16:04: Governor – Wagner troops also in the Russian region of Lipetsk
According to the local governor, the Wagner mercenary force has also invaded the Russian region of Lipetsk. The area is around 360 kilometers south of Moscow and thus closer to the Russian capital than Rostov-on-Don, where Wagner troops are said to have gathered in the night. Governor Igor Artamonov announced on Telegram that the authorities would “ensure the safety of the population”. “The situation is under control.” Artamonov gave no details about the alleged presence of the mercenary troops.
3:25 p.m.: Chechen leader Kadyrov sends troops
The Chechen ruler Ramzan Kadyrov is now also getting involved in the military power struggle within Russia. According to his own statements, he sent troops to the “areas of tension”. Chechen fighters from the Defense Ministry and the National Guard are already on their way, according to Kadyrov, who is considered a close ally of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. He added: “The uprising must be crushed and if tough action is needed, we are ready to do it!”
3.40 p.m .: Blinking – USA continues in close coordination with partners
The United States remains in close coordination with its allies and partners in light of developments in Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter. He spoke to the G7 foreign ministers and the EU foreign policy representative. Nothing will change in US support for Ukraine.
3:20 p.m .: Wagner boss – army headquarters in Rostov “without a shot” taken
The Russian mercenary group Wagner has taken the army headquarters in the southern Russian city of Rostov “without a single shot”, according to their boss. “We got into Rostov and, without firing a single shot, we took over the headquarters building,” Yevgeny Prigozhin told Telegram. Not a single person was killed. “Why is the country supporting us? Because we are walking a march for justice,” he said. The people in Rostov also support him.
3:10 p.m .: Spokesman – Putin works in the Kremlin
The Kremlin has denied speculation that Russian President Vladimir Putin left Moscow in the wake of the violent uprising by Wagner’s mercenary army. “Putin works in the Kremlin,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the state news agency Tass. Earlier there were rumors that Putin might have left for St. Petersburg. According to official information, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was also at his workplace in Moscow.
3:04 p.m .: Belarus – remain an ally of Russia
Belarus’ Security Council has made it clear that the country will remain an ally of Russia. The internal disputes in Russia are “a gift to the collective West,” the panel said.
3 p.m .: Pistorius – Germany has no options for action
From the point of view of Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD), the possible consequences of the armed uprising by the Wagner mercenary army in Russia for the Ukraine war can hardly be foreseen at the moment. “It’s difficult to estimate, especially since we don’t know how unstable Russia will become and who will ultimately have the upper hand and who will team up with whom,” he said on the sidelines of a party conference of the Lower Saxony SPD in Aurich.
It is too early for an assessment, said Pistorius. “If you did that now, you would cloud the open view of what is actually happening.” When asked about Germany’s options, the minister replied: “In this situation we have no options for action. It is an internal political conflict in Russia. We cannot yet say whether this will develop into a power struggle. We are observers.” Pistorius continued.
2:47 pm: Governor – Fire in fuel storage facility in Voronezh
According to the local government, a fuel depot caught fire in the Russian region of Voronezh in the south of the country. “In Voronezh, a burning fuel depot is being extinguished,” Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev said on Telegram. There was initially no information about the cause of the fire. However, some media released a video showing a military helicopter in the area before an explosion.
In the Russian region of Voronezh, around 600 kilometers south of Moscow, the Russian army reported “combat operations” because of the uprising of the Wagner mercenary troupe. Voronezh is about halfway between Moscow and the southern city of Rostov, where Wagner mercenaries took control of military installations there, according to their boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in the morning.
2.35 p.m .: The federal government’s crisis team meets
Because of the developments in Russia, the crisis team of the federal government has met. “The federal government is closely monitoring developments in Russia,” said a spokesman for the Federal Foreign Office. “To this end, the Federal Government’s crisis management team is currently meeting at the Federal Foreign Office, headed by State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office, Andreas Michaelis.” Foreign Minister Baerbock had just discussed the situation with the G7 foreign ministers, he said. In addition to Germany, the G7 also includes France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the USA and Great Britain.
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