Moscow beefs up security after threats from Wagner Group: Russian media

Security measures were stepped up in Moscow on Friday (23), following explosive comments by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, according to Russian state media Tass.

“Security measures have been strengthened in Moscow, all the most important facilities, state authorities and transport infrastructure facilities have been taken under greater protection,” Russia’s law enforcement agencies told the agency.

According to law enforcement, the Special Purpose Unit of the Police and the Special Rapid Response Unit of the Russian Guard were also alerted, Tass reported.

The statements came after threats made by the head of the Wagner Group against his own allies. He accused the Russian military leadership of attacking one of his military camps and killing a “large amount” of his mercenary forces. Then he promised to attack official Russian forces as a reprisal.

Then Russia’s top commander in Ukraine, Sergey Surovikin, ordered the mercenaries to stop the rebellion and obey President Vladimir Putin.

Investigation

President Vladimir Putin is aware of “the situation unfolding around Yevgeny Prigozhin,” Tass said.

Putin is also aware that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has launched a criminal case accusing the head of the mercenary force of calling for an “armed rebellion”.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said Putin was aware of the situation and “all necessary measures are being taken”, according to state media RIA Novosti.

Prigozhin on Friday accused the Russian military leadership of attacking a Wagner military camp and killing a “large amount” of his mercenary forces. Prigozhin claimed that the Russian Ministry of Defense misled Wagner and he promised to “respond to these atrocities”.

Prigozhin and Wagner played a prominent role in Ukraine’s war, and the leader has repeatedly and publicly sparred with Russia’s defense chiefs over what he said was a shortage of ammunition, at one point recording video of him attacking as he stood in front of the which he claimed were the corpses of his fighters.