'Situation is difficult': Moscow mayor asks residents to stay in home as Wagner group approaches

Moscow’s mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Saturday urged residents to refrain from traveling around the capital city as the situation remains “difficult” with Wagner mercenaries moving towards Moscow to oust Russia’s military leadership.

“The situation is difficult. I ask you to refrain from travelling around the city as much as possible,” Sobyanin said in a statement, warning of possible road closures and announcing Monday was a “non-working” day.

Sobyanin’s advisory comes after Wagner group mercenaries were reportedly “moving across” the Lipetsk region, which is around 400 km south of Moscow.

BREAKING:

The Wagner Group has smashed through the first road barriers on the way to Moscow pic.twitter.com/LdzVXjqy7L

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 24, 2023

“Hardware of the Wagner mercenary group is moving across the territory of the Lipetsk region,” Governor Igor Artamonov said on Telegram. “I remind you that residents are strongly recommended not to leave their houses or to make trips on any mode of transport.”

The group is currently on its way to Moscow in a bid to overthrow the Russian military leadership following their chief’s challenge to Putin.

The armed rebellion by the outfit, amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, is seen as the biggest threat to Putin’s authority. The Wagner group’s role has been crucial in the ongoing war, it was even credited for the capture of the key city of Bakhmut after a bloody 224-day-long battle.

With inputs from AFP

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