Wagner troops and equipment also rolled into Russia’s Lipetsk province, about 360 kilometres south of Moscow, where authorities “are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the population,” said regional Gov. Prigozhin’s private army, known as Wagner, has been fighting alongside regular Russian troops in Ukraine. Wagner forces have played a crucial role, capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut, an area where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place. “Russian troops in Ukraine may well now be operating in a vacuum, without clear military instructions, and doubts about whom to obey and follow,” Lutsevych said. The Kremlin said Putin spoke by phone with the leaders of Turkiye, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan about the events.

Source: Libya Today June 24, 2023 16:54 UTC