Russian Generals Accuse Mercenary Chief of Coup Attempt

“Russian generals late on Friday accused Yevgeny Prigozhin, the outspoken mercenary tycoon, of trying to mount a coup against President Vladimir Putin, as the long-running feud between Mr. Prigozhin and the Russian military escalated into an open confrontation,” the New York Times reports.

“There were no reports of clashes on Russian streets, but videos circulating widely on social media showed that military and national guard armored vehicles had been deployed in Moscow and the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, near the front line in Ukraine where Mr. Prigozhin’s fighters had been deployed.”

“Russia’s domestic intelligence agency, the F.S.B., said it had opened an investigation into Mr. Prigozhin for organizing an ‘armed rebellion.'”

The BBC quotes Prigozhin as saying the “evil” in the military leadership must be stopped and vowed to “march for justice.”

Washington Post: Wagner mercenary boss faces arrest over “incitement to armed rebellion.”