Wagner group mercenaries on top of a tank in the Rostov-on-Don region.
Moscow:
Russian Wagner mercenaries “passed through” the Lipetsk region, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Moscow, the governor said on Saturday, en route to Moscow after vowing to overthrow Russia’s military leadership.
Their chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has vowed to make it to Moscow after transferring his men from occupied Ukraine to Russia overnight and launching an armed uprising against the Russian leadership.
Wagner mercenaries have occupied an army headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and were reportedly located in the Voronezh region.
But the Lipetsk region is so far the closest location to Moscow where Wagner columns have been spotted.
“Hardware of the Wagner mercenary group is moving through the territory of the Lipetsk region,” Governor Igor Artamonov said on Telegram.
“I remind you that residents are strongly advised not to leave their homes or travel by any means of transportation.”
He did not say exactly where in the region the Wagner fighters were seen.
The pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Rybar, which closely analyzed the conflict in Ukraine, has said Wagner columns were seen near Yelets, 390 kilometers (240 mi) south of Moscow.
AFP was unable to verify the report.
Further north, closer to Moscow, the Kaluga region introduced travel restrictions as Wagner troops marched towards the capital.
“Please do not travel in a private vehicle on these roads unless absolutely necessary,” Governor Vladislav Shapsha said in a statement posted on social media, referring to transportation arteries between his region and several others, including those bordering Ukraine.
Russia has introduced a “counter-terror regime” in Moscow.
In the southern Voronezh region, authorities said the army was conducting “combat operations” and a huge oil depot was on fire.
President Vladimir Putin has vowed to punish the mutineers, calling them “traitors”.
Prigozhin fired back at the old leader, saying he was “deeply mistaken”, vowing to push into Moscow.
He said his men entered Russia and occupied the army building in Rostov-on-Don without firing a “single shot”, claiming support from the local population.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is being published from a syndicated feed.)