Wagner troops have allegedly entered Rostov-on-Don

[CanonRay]

according to Prigozin's Telegram channel. I am watching Inside Russia with Konstantin. The conscript troops send out to stop Wagner allegedly stepped aside and let them in. A second report stated that National Guard troops fired on Wagner but were overwhelmed and fled, dropping their weapons.

Konstantin says that we'll know more in 24 hours, lots of bits and pieces coming in.

[Leghorn21]

1. Yes, and yet other posters are showing videos of a quiet town going about its usual business --

It’s NUTS!! I may have to put on a pot of coffee, might be pulling an all-nighter here, Ray!!

https://twitter.com/search?q=Rostov&src=trend_click&vertical=trends

[CanonRay]

2. Absolutely riveting!

[Leghorn21]

7. My eyes are glazing from reading at 50mph, man!!!

I’m keeping in mind that Prigozhin ran that Internet Research Agency in St Petersburg, so the bastard knows a little something about manipulating Twitter, right?? — this really could be just a spectacular Orson Welles “War of the Worlds” replay, but HOT DAMN, let us take our fun where we can find it!!

[CanonRay]

10. I sure hope the Ukrainians kick them in the backside

while they are distracted.

[Leghorn21]

11. EXACTLY!!!!!

[Bev54]

30. I have it on livestream, and yes it is quiet right now. Lots of action going on in Ukraine, the

whole country is under air alerts. Some explosions in Kramatorsk, Kharkiv and Kyiv and some air explosions elsewhere. For the first time they are showing Rostov and Moscow on livestream. Interesting but quiet, daylight is just breaking.

[Leghorn21]

34. Many thanks, Bev!

I’m scrambling like a maniac trying to keep up —-

Taking it all with a big salt-grain, but…dayam!!!

[Maraya1969]

3. Ignorant here. Is the Wagner company or group pro-Ukraine?

It sounds like Ukraine is making big strides right?

[CanonRay]

5. It's Prigozin and Wagner

Ukrainians may be trying to take advantage with a night attack on Bakmuht. Wagner base camp was allegedly bombed by Russians, and he has called for the Russian government to fall, and is allegedly attacking Rostov-on-Don which is the HQ for the Southern Military District.

[leftieNanner]

8. Wagner is a mercenary group

Ostensibly fighting with Russia.

[speak easy]

15. Wagner is pro-Wagner

[rpannier]

23. Yep

[DemocratSinceBirth]

35. What if Wagner went from heels to faces like in the WWE?

[okaawhatever]

50. That would be epic. Beating Putin at his own game? LOL. Wagner group has access to Russia's internal

PR machine, so you never know.

[rollin74]

9. Neither. Wagner is a Russian based mercenary army

which (until recently) has done a lot of fighting on behalf of Putin and the Russian govt

they were the main force fighting for Russia against Ukraine in the battle for Bakhmut

recently, the Wagner leader has turned publicly against the command of the Russian armed forces over how they are conducting the war and has been outspoken in his criticism of the Russian military

[CanonRay]

4. Here's a link to the live chat

[CanonRay]

6. Konstantin reporting the Ruble is crashing

up to 97.5 to a dollar, expected to be in triple digits by morning in Moscow.

[Emrys]

12. Ukrainian government advisor Anton Gerashchenko has more from Prigozhin:

Link to tweet

Anton Gerashchenko
@Gerashchenko_en

Prigozhin:

"Just now head of the General Staff gave an order to bring aircraft into air and start shooting the convoys. They are walking among civilian cars, in between trucks. They don't care who they kill."

He says pilots refused to obey that order.

(Presumably this was posted by Prigozhin on Telegram.)

[Arazi]

13. I've been wondering why there hasn't been air strikes on Prighozins convoys

[CanonRay]

16. Supposedly air strikes were ordered, but the pilots refused

calling it an illegal order. The highway north is clogged with traffic and the Wagner troops are reportedly moving among the civilian vehicles.

[Emrys]

20. Note for now and throughout this no doubt long episode:

I'm reporting what Prigozhin's saying at one or several removes as I don't speak Russian. I trust the sources I use as I've followed them for a long time, but Prigozhin would obviously have his own propaganda reasons for broadcasting that he has support at lower levels of the Russian military, as the higher echelons are either sitting it out or making awkward public statements against him. Whether what he claims is true or not, we'll have to wait and see.

[Quakerfriend]

33. Yes, Prigozhin has his own propaganda-

Not easy to believe.

Looking at the initial video of the “bombed out camp”,
It appeared completely staged.

Perhaps his pretext for initiating a coup.

[Tomconroy]

14. Don't know if this is true:

Link to tweet

?t=MnwmcvxWs6O0uBeZirtogw&s=19

[paleotn]

25. He broke one of the main tenants of Dictator 101

Never let a toady have his own private army.

[reACTIONary]

55. Exactly. nt.

[CanonRay]

18. Here's a Google Map of the Rostov-Moscow highway showing the roadblocks

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Moscow,+Russia/Rostov-on-Don,+Rostov+Oblast,+Russia/@47.6491594,39.5978738,8.4z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x46b54afc73d4b0c9:0x3d44d6cc5757cf4c!2m2!1d37.6172999!2d55.755826!1m5!1m1!1s0x40e3c777c3b4b6ef:0x8248b451e48b4d04!2m2!1d39.701505!2d47.2357137!3e0?entry=ttu

[NowISeetheLight]

19. Maybe

We send Wagner a few $$ to fight FOR Ukraine.

[Recycle_Guru]

24. maybe we already have

[wnylib]

28. Some of that excess just discovered and earmarked for Ukraine?

[AdamGG]

42. Hopefully, we've let it be known...

that for the right new Russian government, western sanctions could evaporate.

[paleotn]

21. It's begun.

Seems much of the Russian military is siding with Wagner. Operation "fortress" is in effect with much of the Kremlin and other sensitive buildings blocked off and guarded by Spetsnaz, Russia's version of Seals and Green Beret. Who they choose to side with may determine the issue.

[Cosmocat]

26. Woah

nm

[LiberalFighter]

22. Chris Hayes reporting on it.

[Warpy]

27. That was the last bit of news the Russian guys gave

before the ran out of gas and ended their live streams. Both also said the real news will begin about 6 hours from now. If Putin doesn't make even a brief statement, the shit will have officially hit the fan, their words.

Apparently the reception for Wagner is mixed, the conscripts refusing to fight them, the police saying it's not their job to take on an army, and the contract soldier response being a little spotty, some with them and some against them.

I honestly think Prigozhin is expectibng to pick up support along the way and he might even get it.

[EndlessWire]

29. Reporters are calling this a civil war.

Apparently, the Wagner army is marching on Moscow. Wow. The notable perspective is that 90% of Russia's regular army is now fighting in Ukraine, and the 25,000 man Wagner Army has little opposition.

Well, all I care about is Ukraine. How can Ukraine use this to their advantage? Also, I think this would be a moment for Belarus to consider its options. Putin deserves what he gets. It was commented that Russia would have to pull its army out of Ukraine to deal with the Wagners (sort of makes me think of all kinds of silly movie references--Fun With Dick and Jane Wagner, etc.)

Wow. I had no idea that part of the counter offensive would be that the Wagner Group would turn on Moscow. Apparently, they could be in Moscow by night. This doesn't mean that everything would be rosy for Ukraine: FIGHT LIKE HELL, UKRAINE!! I am hoping to avoid the breach of the nuclear plant.

The Russian civilian population is being told to stay inside at home. Gosh, you persuaded me! Has to be so demoralizing. The Russian army in Ukraine will probably be wanting to flee. Maybe the Kerch bridge needs to be left so they can flee over it.

Ah, Russia! Have a dispute with your commanders, and the whole army shows up in your backyard to discuss it! Hahahahhaha!!!

[Boomerproud]

58. I am thinking of and standing with Ukraine tonight as well.

[irisblue]

31. WaPo article

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/23/prigozhin-wagner-mercenary-russia-military/

[SCantiGOP]

32. Could someone just ask Putin

to stand near an open window?

[The Jungle 1]

36. Riddle me this Batman.

Do we give arms to Wagner?

[Recycle_Guru]

37. no--let both sides bleed each other

watch and be ready from the sidelines

[The Jungle 1]

39. Watching won't work.

Wagner gets their ammunition from Putin. They will not last long.
If this is a real coup I bet there is already communication.

[Recycle_Guru]

41. yes--as far as communication and even coordination? I can believe

just no active assistance to them from US. no way.

[The Jungle 1]

46. The enemy of my enemy is my friend!

That is very old very good logic.

[AdamGG]

45. But, aren't Wagner Nazi like psychos?

[The Jungle 1]

47. Yea, so let them attack puktin

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

[AdamGG]

51. Sounds good to me

They're probably the only ones capable of overthrowing Putin, or at least starting a movement that could do it.

[radius777]

53. Agree. There are no nice guys in Russia

capable of overthrowing Putin... only 'less bad' guys who perhaps will stop the war in Ukraine and restore diplomacy with the West.

[Leghorn21]

38. Hey, Ray -- Mr Kasparov has a few words for us tonight

As I said, there is no Russian state, no political chain of
command, and total failure in Ukraine has exposed that.
Who will obey whose orders now? If Prigozhin is still alive
and free in 24 hours, we will have entered a new reality.

Link to tweet

…standing by!!

[CanonRay]

48. He seems to have his finger on the pulse...

[crickets]

54. ✔ Kasparov has been busy today. Glad to hear from him; he knows the drill.

Link to tweet

Garry Kasparov
@Kasparov63
Don't wonder what will happen if Russia collapses. It already did! Years ago. It's not a state, it's a mafia front with factions fighting each other for money, resources, and power.
5:50 PM · Jun 23, 2023 · 1.1M Views

Whatever is happening now, it was already clear Putin wasn't able to control every faction or to keep the infighting quiet or at least non-violent the way he mostly could before.

The pointing fingers among Russian factions will increasingly be on triggers as Ukrainian victories multiply. The towers of lies will collapse and new, smaller ones built. Defeat will be denied, then blamed on rivals, then fake victory declared by the survivors.

Whoever keeps control, Putin or anyone else, will be faced with threats & instability. It is vital for the free world not to offer any lifelines to murderers. We do not expect democracy and liberty to suddenly flourish, but there can be no deals with Russian war criminals.

There will be attempts to use internal conflict as pretext for ceasefires, sanctions relief, and other charades to give Russia time to regroup and reload while occupying Ukrainian territory & continuing the terror. No.

Do not let whatever mafia show that is now out in the open in Russia distract from the goal of Ukrainian victory. It is time to accelerate, not hesitate. If you agree that "let them all lose" in Russia is ideal, the road to that is victory. Glory to Ukraine.

PS Please keep in mind that even more than usual, everything coming out of the Kremlin, and Russian generally, will be lies. It's instinctive and about control. Such people would not admit they were drowning to a lifeguard.

[Leghorn21]

57. Oh, many thanks for this, crickets!

Mr Kasparov knows whereof he speaks!!

RESPECT

[Ligyron]

40. It's possible Prigozin and Putin have cooked this up to decapitate the high command.

I mean, they gave him bad info that led him to approve this and I think the high command wanted to invade more than Putin did.

[Recycle_Guru]

44. no way. this was Putin's baby all the way. but generals lied about the war since day 1

as soon as first convoys from the north got bogged down, generals did nothing but lie to Putin.

[COL Mustard]

43. So who are they fighting for now?

Have they turned on Putin and Shoigu? Are they fighting on the Ukrainian side? Curious and curiouser.

[CanonRay]

49. Wahner is fighting the Russian Ministry of Defense

at least the troops who will still obey orders...

[hatrack]

52. For some reason, this scene came immediately to mind . . .

[canetoad]

56. Couple of breaking news snippets

From ABC Au. https://www.abc.net.au/news

Riot police and the national guard have been scrambled in Moscow as Wagner fighters return to Russia.

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin says his forces have shot down a Russian military helicopter.

[EndlessWire]

59. A little ambiance for Putin