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Russian President Vladimir Putin Vows Punishment For "Betrayal"; Mercenary Leader Yevgeny Prigozhin Claims Wagner Group Controls Military Facilities In Rostov-On-Don; U.S. And Canada Launch Investigations Into Submersible Implosion; Moscow Mayor Reports Of "Anti-Terrorist Measures"; Putin Refers To Rostov-On-Don Situation As "Armed Uprising". Aired 5-6a ET
Aired June 24, 2023 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): This is CNN breaking news.
KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I want to get to our breaking news this hour out of Russia.
Russian president Vladimir Putin is issuing a blunt warning to Wagner mercenaries following their military pushback in southwestern Russia. In his address to the nation about two hours ago, he said the mercenaries backstabbed the country with what he called an armed rebellion.
He made it clear that their move will be punished. He said that Russia's facing what he described as an existential battle. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): I addressed the citizens of Russia and the members of the armed forces, law enforcement and special services and those who are now fighting in their combat positions to repel enemy attacks.
They are doing so heroically, knowing that I spoke to the commanders in all directions again tonight. I also appeal to those who have been led by deceit or threats into this criminal adventure and pushed into the path of the severe crime of armed insurrection.
Russia today is fighting an uphill battle for its future against the aggression of the Nazis and their masters. Virtually the entire military/economic information machine of the West, is directed against us.
We are fighting for the life and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence, for the right to be and remain in Russia as a state with 1,000 years of history. (END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Earlier, Wagner's leader said that his mercenaries took control of military facilities in the cities of Voronezh and Rostov- on-Don. Yevgeny Prigozhin also threatened to move on to Moscow if top military leaders do not meet with him.
Britain's defense ministry is calling that the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times. In response, Russia is announce the creation of an anti terrorist operation regime in Moscow.
Officials are also advising to drivers to avoid a major highway in southern Russia, which is being used by Wagner's convoys. This unprecedented situation has been unfolding rapidly over the past several hours and CNN correspondents are covering all the angles. Nic Robertson is in London, Ben Wedeman is standing by in Zaporizhzhya, Ukraine.
Let's begin with the latest from Ivan Watson in Hong Kong.
Ivan, first take us through Putin's strongly worded reaction to this crisis.
IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: There had been some voices coming out of Moscow, Kremlin supporters, who were trying to downplay what was happening here.
But Vladimir Putin made it very clear that this armed uprising, this mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenaries, he invoked history. He said this was like 1917. That is when a rebellion erupted and overthrew the czarist government during World War I and lead to a fratricidal civil war.
He certainly invoked this and he vowed to punish the people behind this mutiny. Take a listen to what else he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PUTIN (through translator): I repeat, any internal turmoil is a mortal threat to our statehood, to us as a nation. This is a blow to Russia, to our people, to our actions to defend the fatherland against such a threat will be severe.
All those who deliberately chose the path of treachery, who prepared an armed mutiny, who chose the path of blackmail and terrorist methods will face inevitable punishment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Putin went on to say that they were adopting counterterrorism measures in the capital, Moscow and in the Moscow region and in some other regions. We think that is going to be increased scrutiny; perhaps checkpoints on roads, measures like that, more security forces out and about.
He conceded that the situation in the southern Rostov region was complicated, that the civilian and military command there had been blockaded but he said that this would change.
The question is what measures are going to be taken because Yevgeny Prigozhin Prigozhin, by his own statement, is all in. He has said -- and he claims some 25,000 fighters are ready to die for their cause.
He began this basically invading Russia from Ukraine, where his forces have been fighting for months now, invading that southern province of Rostov, apparently without a shot, taking over control of Russia's southern military command. Take a listen to what he said before Vladimir Putin.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, FOUNDER, WAGNER GROUP (through translator): We are at headquarters at 7:30 am. Military facilities in Rostov, including the airfield, are under our control. Planes that leave for combat will not leave as usual. No problems.
Medical flights will leave as usual. All we did was to take control so that the attack aviation would not strike us but strike in the Ukrainian direction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WATSON: Prigozhin had himself filmed alongside some very senior Russian military commanders. One man we believe is the deputy defense minister. They looked almost like hostages, surrounded by Prigozhin and his armed men.
He was demanding that the general chief of staff, Valery Gerasimov, be delivered to him as well as the defense secretary -- defense minister, rather, Sergei Shoigu. He said that until that happens, he would blockade Rostov and also move on Moscow.
He had claimed to take over an airbase. Wagner has since claimed to take over some military facilities in the central Russian region of Voronezh. We cannot independently confirm that. We know the governor in that province has ordered people to stay away from the highway leading south from Rostov to Moscow.
There have been reports, unconfirmed, of clashes taking place around there. This is a very tense and fragile moment, because, initially, Prigozhin was basically declaring war on senior Russian military commanders, accusing them of corruption and bad management of the war in Ukraine.
Now Putin has stepped up and declared war effectively on Prigozhin himself.
So it will be a question, could we see a confrontation between Wagner mercenaries and Russian security forces?
Wagner mercenaries have been in the trenches for months, fighting the Ukrainian military. These are seasoned, battle hardened warriors with heavy weaponry. I cannot even imagine what would happen if such a conflict were to erupt.
BRUNHUBER: Exactly. Thank you so much, Ivan Watson in Hong Kong. I appreciate that.
I want to bring in CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson, who joins us live from London.
Nic, the world is, of course, watching what is going on in Russia keenly.
What has been the international reaction?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, NATO is watching the situation. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, is watching the situation. The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is watching the situation.
The prime minister in Poland has met with his defense minister and spoken with allies. Everyone within proximity of Russia, to the west of Russia, is watching very closely. There is huge concern.
The situation, as we have heard from British officials, is without recent historic precedent. So the dynamic here cannot be predicted. What is unfolding can become, as Ivan was saying, a direct confrontation on the streets with a very bloody and difficult outcome.
What becomes clear is that, if Putin does not wrest control of the situation quickly, he is going to look weak. We were speaking in the last hour about one of Putin's biggest military backers and supporters, Ramzan Kadyrov, the Chechen leader.
What was his position going to be?
Well, he appears to have made that clear now and he appears to be saying, and of course the translation of what has said needs to be thoroughly scrutinized -- but he appears to be calling Prigozhin's actions treachery.
So it seems that Putin has in his corner the very strong and firm backing of Kadyrov, which is important.
But the question becomes, for Putin and obviously all those nations watching the situation in Russia, how many of the military are going to side with Prigozhin?
Prigozhin is very good about creating a lot of noise and putting out strong messaging. He has recruited over recent months Russia's deputy defense minister, who lost his job in the defense ministry and became a very senior official within Wagner.
Prigozhin has tended to engender, it appears close support and loyalty from fighters who are close to him. So the question will be how writ large is that. But to Prigozhin's point, that this war has not been fought well by the military, that Sergei Shoigu, the defense minister, Valery Gerasimov, the army chief of staff, have not prosecuted the war well. It has caused the high and unnecessary loss of life of Russian
fighters. This is what Prigozhin has been saying. That was not addressed by Putin.
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ROBERTSON: So I think there will be a lot of people in Russia who will be looking at this and seeing how Putin handles that phase. He's called this treason, what Prigozhin is doing; his enabling through counterterrorism legislation, the crackdown on anyone siding with Prigozhin.
But the actual accusation that this is a war that is being fought badly and perhaps should be ended, which is a very dangerous proposition for President Putin, that has not been answered by Putin today.
So there is a military situation on the ground. But the dynamics behind what happens next, this is what is going to be so closely watched by all of these countries, you know, with a vested interest in Russian stability.
BRUNHUBER: Nic, on that, one could argue that exposing the central lie of the war, Putin's rationale now for the so-called special operation, is almost as dangerous to Putin as any military threat from Prigozhin.
What effect do you think that will have on Putin's grip and on Russians themselves, the more than 200,000 who've lost loved ones?
ROBERTSON: The key for Putin all along is maintaining the narrative, the strength of narrative, controlling the narrative. He has been very slow to deal with Prigozhin. But the narrative is still in Putin's court on this.
Prigozhin has been effective on social media and we are witnessing the abilities of Prigozhin to get his message out.
However, as long as the state media institutions are effectively behind Putin, which they are at the moment, then Putin's messaging wins out. And I think that if, as long as the state organs of information stay behind Putin, it's an indication that Putin still remains in control and power.
But how does he stand side-by-side with Sergei Shoigu, the defense minister?
You know, for a long time, Putin has been allowing Prigozhin to speak out aggressively against Shoigu, against Gerasimov, these strong men of Russia's military if you will. I know, they have been put there by Putin but Putin has been allowing them to be criticized heavily.
It is only when Prigozhin has stepped over the line by questioning the war that -- and putting his troops on the streets, that the situation has risen to this level.
How are those defense chiefs going to respond to Putin when to Prigozhin is out of the picture?
So Putin's own power, his ability to wield power, his ability to have influence over the war in Ukraine, those things will be called into question. If we go back and remember the Kherson offensive by the Ukrainians in the fall of last year, Russia retreated out of there.
Why?
At the time we understood the reason why they retreated was because the military got control of the tactics on the ground from Putin and said it did not make military sense to stay and keep forces over the Dnipro River and pull them all back.
So if the military have a stronger say in how the war plays out, this will affect Putin because if Putin does not achieve his aims in Ukraine, then his term in leadership would seem to be over very quickly.
BRUNHUBER: All right, fascinating analysis. Nic Robertson in London. Thank you so much.
For more now on how those developments could affect Ukraine, we are joined by Ben Wedeman in Zaporizhzhya.
So Ben, one can imagine that Ukrainians would be celebrating the chaos unfolding in Russia.
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SR. INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It may still be too early, Kim, to celebrate. Certainly they are transfixed by what they are seeing going on in Russia.
We have heard from an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency, saying that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has destabilized the Russian elites, exacerbating internal divisions caused by Russian defeats on the battlefield.
Certainly what we have seen is that, since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, its full scale invasion back in February of last, year the military performance by the Russians has been largely a failure.
Therefore, what we are seeing is for instance, with Prigozhin's mercenaries now in control of Rostov, that the entire military situation is now up in the air. Keep in mind that Rostov is the headquarters of the Russian southern military district.
It is a strategic command center for Russian forces in southern Ukraine. With Prigozhin in control, it is not at all clear who controls Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
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WEDEMAN: And how they are going to respond if the Ukrainians launch the bulk of their forces against Russian lines.
I can tell you that yesterday, we were in an area south of here, where we saw a huge number of troops, of Western equipment, of logistical support, primed to launch a major counteroffensive.
What we've seen until now is fairly small advances by Ukrainian forces. They've taken just eight really small villages -- villages is perhaps an overstatement of the kind of communities that are down there.
But certainly the Ukrainians, this is a golden moment, perhaps a game- changer for the Ukrainians, as they are prepared to really carry this counteroffensive through.
So they're really watching what's going on in the Kremlin, where it seems to be in a situation of chaos, to see whether this is really their golden moment to take full advantage of the instability amongst the ranks of the Russian military and the political elite as well.
BRUNHUBER: Ben, beyond the battlefield, is there any sense in Ukraine, any optimism maybe, some incentive for Putin to come to the table for some real negotiations?
WEDEMAN: I think coming to the table for Putin is, at this moment, probably not his top priority.
I think his top priority now is trying to reestablish his authority, since, on the one hand, he has Prigozhin, who has led perhaps the most effective military force in the war here, pitted against the entire military establishment of the defense -- of the ministry of defense.
And therefore, really, it is a question of can he hold on to power long enough to perhaps, somewhere down the line, come to the table?
But at the moment, I think his real preoccupation is just maintaining his throne, let alone pursuing any diplomatic or military initiatives when it comes to Ukraine.
BRUNHUBER: Absolutely, Ben Wedeman. Thank you so much.
This all comes as fighting is still raging across Ukraine. Officials there say their air defense systems have destroyed more than 20 missiles fired overnight around Kyiv. At least two people were killed and eight wounded when debris hit a tall building during that attack.
Another three people died on Friday following Russian shelling in the south. And in the east, Ukrainian forces say Russia's main focus is still on the Donetsk region but they are claiming to have firmly repulsed (INAUDIBLE) Russian fighters in the area.
Another Ukrainian official says the main strike of Kyiv's counteroffensive hasn't started yet and they still have several operations in store.
All right, still ahead, the search for answers in the Titan submersible tragedy. What we're learning about what went wrong. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back.
Returning to our top story this hour, Russia says it will carry out counterterrorist operations in the regions of Moscow and Voronezh in response to what it called an armed revolt by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
In an address to the nation, president Vladimir Putin condemned the Wagner leader and promised to punish those who, quote, "deliberately went on a path of treason." Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PUTIN (through translator): We're fighting for the life and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence, for the right to be and remain Russia, as a state with 1,000 years of history.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: Now all of this comes as Prigozhin says he is carrying out a, quote, "march of justice" against the Russian defense ministry for allegedly killing many of his mercenaries in a strike, a claim the ministry denies.
Earlier Prigozhin said his sort of forces had seized of several military facilities in southern Russia. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRIGOZHIN (through translator): We are at headquarters at 7:30 am. Military facilities in Rostov, including the airfield, are under our control. Planes that leave for combat will not leave as usual. No problems.
Medical flights will leave as usual. All we did was to take control so that the attack aviation would not strike us but strike in the Ukrainian direction.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: The U.S. and Canada have each announced investigations into the tragic loss of the Titanic-bound submersible and all five people on board. Search teams have been scouring the ocean floor to map the debris field and try to establish a timeline of what went wrong.
This has all brought renewed scrutiny of the safety practices of the company behind the submersible. OceanGate's cofounder said people shouldn't rush to judgment. Jason Carroll now with the latest on the efforts at the wreckage site.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are some of the first images of the remotely operated vehicles which found portions of the Titan's hull and continue tonight on a new mission to search and map the debris site.
The ROVs will continue searching for more evidence of the accident. The submersible lost contact with the ship on the surface one hour and 45 minutes into its descent on Sunday.
DAVID GALLO, SENIOR ADVISER STRATEGIC INITIATIVE, RMS TITANIC INC.: The other thing that I heard was that PH had contacted the surface ship and said there was a problem. We're dropping weights and surfacing immediately. Now I can't verify that but that to meant something really happened very quickly.
CARROLL (voice-over): OceanGate did not comment when asked about what Gallo had heard. Deep sea experts questioned the lack of testing of the vessel and the integrity of materials used to make the hull.
A CNN review shows that while OceanGate publicly touted a commitment to safety measures --
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CARROLL (voice-over): -- it rejected industry standards that would have imposed greater scrutiny on its operations and vessels.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Specially trained crew members safely diving to the Titanic wreckage site.
CARROLL (voice-over): In this promotional video published last year, the company touted an unforgettable but safe voyage. That video also features Paul-Henri Nargeolet, one of the passengers on board Titan.
PAUL-HENRI NARGEOLET, FRENCH SUBMARINER AND EX-NAVY OFFICER: The sub for me, it is very well done because it is simple. Generally, there is a lot of equipment and a lot of switch. And on this one you do not have it. You work with a screen and with a keyboard and it is very easy to do that.
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CARROLL (voice-over): CNN also learned two former OceanGate employees separately voiced safety concerns about the design of the Titan. OceanGate has not responded to CNN about those claims.
And in 2019, Lloyd's Register, a marine certification company, declined a request from OceanGate to certify the Titan. The company has not said why. OceanGate's cofounder who left the company in 2013, cautioned against rushing to judgment.
GUILLERMO SOHNLEIN. CO-FOUNDER, OCEANGATE: There are teams onsite that are still going to be collecting data for the next few days, weeks, maybe months. And it's going to be a long time before we know exactly what happened down there.
CARROLL: Both the NTSB and the Canadian Transportation Safety Board say they have launched investigations into what happened. Also, the U.S. Coast Guard has declared the loss of the Titan to be a major marine casualty -- Jason Carroll, CNN, Boston.
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BRUNHUBER: Still ahead, much more on the crisis in Russia. An expert on defensive strategy weighs in on Yevgeny Prigozhin's actions and the government's response.
Plus, the turmoil in Russia is exposing the cracks in Putin's grip on power. Stay with us, that is next.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and all around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
I want to bring you more on our top story this hour. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov has condemned what he called a treacherous march by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and pledged his support to the Russian president.
In a speech, Vladimir Putin accused the Wagner leader of an armed rebellion and promised to punish anyone who, quote, "went on the path of treason."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA (through translator): This is a blow to Russia, to our people. So our actions to defend the fatherland against such a threat will be severe.
All those who deliberately chose the path of treachery, who prepared an armed mutiny, who chose the path of blackmail and terrorist methods will face inevitable punishment and will answer both to the law and to our people.
The necessary orders have been issued to the armed forces and other government agencies and additional antiterrorist measures are being introduced in Moscow and the Moscow region and several other regions.
Decisive action will also be taken to stabilize the situation in Rostov-on-Don. The situation remains complex as the work of civilian and military administrative bodies has effectively been blocked.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BRUNHUBER: All of this comes after Prigozhin claimed to have seized several facilities from the Russian military. One of them is in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, right next to Ukraine. The Wagner chief had vowed to retaliate against the Russian defense ministry, which he said killed many of his forces in a strike, something Russians deny.
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BRUNHUBER: Joining me now is Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst in defense strategy and capability at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
Thank you so much for joining us here, I just want to start with Prigozhin. He says he intends to roll on Moscow.
What do you think his aims are here?
MALCOLM DAVIS, SENIOR ANALYST, AUSTRALIAN STRATEGIC POLICY INSTITUTE: Well, clearly, his initial aim was to essentially challenge and attack the Russian ministry of defense leadership, Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov in particular, to hold them to justice, as he put it.
It's a march for justice, is what he is calling this. But it now seems that his aims are expanding because President Putin's speech earlier this evening has basically challenged Prigozhin, branded him a criminal.
And so Prigozhin has come back and said, well, we will have a new president soon enough. So that suggests to me that his aims are expanding. He sees this as a direct challenge to the Putin regime.
And that does suggest that he needs to actually march on Moscow to achieve that.
And so the question in my mind is, how practical is that, given the size of his forces?
And does he have assistance along the way in particular?
Does he have supporters in Moscow that could make a march on Moscow achievable?
BRUNHUBER: So I want to ask you, he has called for Russian soldiers to join forces.
Do you think that this will turn into something larger, an actual coup?
DAVIS: I think it could. It largely does depend on the level of support he gets within the Russian military, particularly within the rank and the file, in other words, the lower level soldiers in the ranks, the non-commissioned officers, the junior officers. He is never going to really get that much support from the senior leadership.
But certainly, the grampus on the ground, shall we say, that have been in the thick of it in terms of fighting in Ukraine, I think potentially could side to or move to his side, in which case the Prigozhin/Wagner force could expand considerably in size and capability.
And it may make it easier for them to move north from Rostov-on-Don to Voronezh and ultimately to Moscow. So I think that is his plan, to try and grow his force so that he has a greater chance of ultimately moving on Moscow.
BRUNHUBER: But how realistic is that?
He is still a long way from Moscow and Putin has the entire power of the entire Russian military at his disposal.
DAVIS: Well, Rostov-on-Don is only a 15 hour drive to Moscow, which, in the scheme of maneuverable warfare, it's not a huge distance. He is already fighting -- he has forces fighting in Voronezh.
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DAVIS: And the next city along that road is Moscow. So it really is a case of how many horses he can get to switch to his side, how quickly he can expand his force, how much support he gets within Moscow.
It's quite likely that there would be allies (ph) within Moscow, within the Russian military that would be assisting him. So that could make it easier for him to get to Moscow.
But then, of course, we are talking about potential risk of major fighting occurring in the streets of Moscow between Prigozhin's forces on the one hand and those forces loyal to Putin on the other.
And so that, I think, is where we talk about the prospect of civil war. It gets to that point that we've got fighting in Moscow. I think at that point, you're at civil war.
BRUNHUBER: It just is a frightening prospect. I mean you talked about support for Prigozhin.
What role do you think the oligarchs and elites may be playing behind the scenes?
DAVIS: Well, we're talking about the oligarchs, which are the wealthy business elite and also the siloviki, which are the -- essentially the intelligence and security elite. They are watching what's happening with Ukraine. They are clearly seeing the writing on the wall, that essentially Russia is not winning this war and it could quite easily lose this war.
And if anything, the Prigozhin uprising is making a Russian defeat more likely because it could open up opportunities for the Ukrainians to exploit gaps in the Russian defenses there.
So the siloviki and the oligarchs will be thinking about, how do they protect their interests?
How do they protect their wealth, their position, their power?
If they can't protect it through Putin, they would seek to have another leader come in that could replace Putin. I don't think it would be Prigozhin but it could be someone from the shadows that could come in, that would be loyal to the siloviki and the oligarchs and protect their interests in return for being given access to the Kremlin, having the top job.
And Putin, well, he would be finished. So I think that that is where you have to look in terms of who is the puppet masters here, who is pulling the strings. It could be that Putin is facing his own demise.
And so we are now in a desperate struggle between, on the one hand, Putin, who is seeking to hold onto power, hold on to his own personal well-being, and Prigozhin's forces, that, shall we say, could have some sort of assistance from within elements of the Russian military, if those elements feel that their future is better held if Prigozhin succeeds.
BRUNHUBER: For Putin then, clearly needing allies, the fact that the Chechen leader has declared his allegiance in this time of need, how important is that for Putin?
DAVIS: It's really early days, yet he's declared that we don't know how many forces Kadyrov would bring to the table or where they would be deployed. But certainly the Chechens have a reputation for ruthless fighters.
So therefore, I think, that is the disturbing development. Let's be clear: there is no potential followon leader after Putin, whether it's Prigozhin or someone else in the siloviki or the oligarchs or someone that particularly could come out of the Chechen area.
There's none of them that really are, shall we say, friendly to the West. They're all hardline nationalists. So I'm not seeing any happy endings here in terms of a color revolution emerging in Moscow that ultimately leads to a new leadership that wants to end the war in Ukraine and restore relations with the West.
That's not happening. So ultimately we could be facing a really uncertain future, whether Putin survives or not.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, frightening implications there. Really appreciate your analysis on this developing story, Malcolm Davis, thank you so much.
DAVIS: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: And we will be right back.
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BRUNHUBER: I want to bring you updates on our breaking news out of Russia. The British defense ministry says Wagner's military pushback is the greatest challenge to the Russian state in recent history.
The mercenaries claim they took control of military facilities in two cities in the southwest. And their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is threatening to continue on to Moscow if top military leaders don't meet with him.
But in his address this morning, president Vladimir Putin called that an armed rebellion and said it would be punished. Security has been stepped up in Moscow, where officials are carrying out what they call anti-terrorism measures. A Russian intelligence official says Prigozhin's actions amount to a coup.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. VLADIMIR ALEKSEEV, RUSSIAN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER (through translator): Only the president has the right to appoint the top leadership of the armed forces. And if you are trying to encroach on his authority, this is a coup d'etat.
There is no need to do this now because there is no greater damage to the image of Russia and to its armed forces.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: So just who is Yevgeny Prigozhin and what do we know about the leader of the Wagner private military company?
To answer, that let's bring in CNN's Salma Abdelaziz in London.
Salma, help us understand the players involved on the Wagner side here.
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Yevgeny Prigozhin was once President Putin's secret weapon and he is now very much the thorn in his side. He came from the same humble beginnings as President Putin, in St. Petersburg.
He's known him since the 1990s. He built an empire, a catering empire, that led to the alias, "Putin's chef." But it was really the invasion of Crimea, in 2014, when he began to rise to prominence as the head of the Wagner military group.
He then used that group essentially as Putin's private army, carrying out his bidding in Africa, the Middle East. But all of that was done behind a curtain, without Yevgeny Prigozhin claiming any credit at all.
It was not until the invasion of Ukraine when he really stepped into the limelight and did it as loudly and as antagonistically as he could, showing up the Russian military on the front lines in Ukraine time and time again, calling out Russia's military leadership, essentially starting a war of words with the defense minister of Russia.
Saying that he should be tried for failing his own people. In these messages, I know you're playing some of them now, he's not just speaking to his own men, to his own mercenary group; he is talking to the Russian public at large.
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ABDELAZIZ: That is why so many for months have asked the question, why has President Putin allowed this man not just to rise to a level of prominence but to rise to a level of dissent if you will, airing Russia's dirty laundry right on those front lines?
We have an answer if you will. Now with President Putin's statement today, who has accused Yevgeny Prigozhin of treason, saying he will be held accountable, as you mentioned.
But is it too late to contain a man, who now says he has 25,000 soldiers, 25,000 mercenaries, armed and ready to defend him, who is taking control of the city in the south, part of a military command of the south in Russia?
This is a huge and complicated challenge for President Putin. And it is playing out right in front of everyone's eyes.
BRUNHUBER: Absolutely. The whole world is watching. So Salma, it might be hard to predict at this point.
But what could be Prigozhin's fate here?
ABDELAZIZ: It is absolutely hard to predict. This is an unprecedented situation. President Putin himself invoked history, dating back over 100 years when talking about the situation, likening it to a rebellion, a coup, an attempt to overthrow the authority of Russia. That means he absolutely must respond with force.
But again, what does that force look like, when you have Yevgeny Prigozhin holed up in Rostov with his soldiers, with his men, ready to defend him, he says?
And how does President Putin now turn to the Russian military and those top military brass leaders, that he allowed to be antagonized and publicly humiliated by Prigozhin for months, without appearing weak, without essentially owing them in the coming days?
What is most concerning, I think, is, of course, the possibility of this turning bloody. Yevgeny Prigozhin seems all in; he's already raided across the border, entered Russian territory, taking control of the city, saying he's willing to do anything to defend himself and his group.
Is the Russian military willing to do the same?
One can only assume so, given President Putin's very strong words.
Does that mean Russians fighting Russians on Russian soil in the coming days?
All of this, of course, pushes the Ukraine war into the background when we're speaking about President Putin simply trying to defend his throne.
BRUNHUBER: Exactly right, Salma Abdelaziz in London, thank you very much.
And we will be right back, please stick with us.
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BRUNHUBER: All right, a quick update on our breaking story out of Russia, where the governor of the southern region of Voronezh says the Russian military is carrying out necessary combat operations in the region.
This comes as videos geolocated to a highway there show Wagner group fighters and vehicles. Earlier Putin addressed the nation after a military pushback by Wagner mercenaries, saying they would be punished. He also said the very existence of Russia is on the line. Here he is.
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PUTIN (through translator): We are fighting for the life and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence, for the right to be and remain Russia, as a state with 1,000 years of history.
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BRUNHUBER: Wagner mercenaries claimed they took control of military facilities of two cities in the southwest. But the governor of one region says Russia's military is carrying out anti-terrorism combat operations.
Also Wagner's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is threatening to continue on to Moscow if top military leaders don't meet with him. A major Chechen military leader is condemning Prigozhin, calling his actions a vile betrayal.
Our Fred Pleitgen has more on the man at the center of the story.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): He has long been a well-known mercenary leader along around the world. Now Yevgeny Prigozhin is a wanted man in Russia as well.
His often merciless group of fighters is now pitted against the Russian military leadership and Prigozhin is suddenly Moscow's public enemy number one. Vladimir Putin calling for Prigozhin's group to lay down their arms.
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PUTIN (through translator): All those who deliberately chose the path of treachery, who prepared an armed mutiny, who chose the path of blackmail and terrorist methods, will face inevitable punishment and will answer both to the law and to our people.
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PLEITGEN (voice-over): He may now be something of a nemesis to Vladimir Putin but it was his decades-long relationship with the Russian president that allowed Prigozhin to establish his own militia, the Wagner Group.
Wagner served as a private army, doing controversial jobs that often not even Russia's military could do. Prigozhin, a former prisoner himself and self styled hard man from St. Petersburg, used Wagner to operate around the world.
CNN has tracked Wagner mercenaries to the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, Mozambique, Ukraine and to Syria. Along the way, Prigozhin enriched himself. Rights groups have accused Wagner of horrific violence, like this, of Wagner fighters allegedly smashing the feet and hands of a Syrian prisoner with a sledgehammer in 2017.
The man reportedly died after his ordeal. The images are incredibly disturbing, like so many others attributed to his group.
For many years, Prigozhin denied the existence of Wagner, its work best done in secret. A master of mythmaking, it was Prigozhin and Wagner who set up the notorious Russian troll farm, used to spread disinformation around the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
But when his fighters took to the battlefield in Eastern Ukraine and began winning battles, Prigozhin seemed to want the spotlight.
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PRIGOZHIN (through translator): The Bakhmut operation began on October 8th, 2022, in order to give the battered Russian army an opportunity to recover.
[05:55:00]
PRIGOZHIN (through translator): Our guys stormed the city for 224 days. There were only Wagner private forces here.
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PLEITGEN (voice-over): His tactics included flinging poorly armed and poorly trained troops into the so-called "meat grinder" of war in Ukraine's east, suffering a shocking number of casualties in an attempt to overwhelm defenses. Prigozhin rubbed his victories in the fact of Russia's flailing
defense department, venting his fury at the haphazardness and ill planning of Russia's illegal invasion and chastising the Russian top brass, mocking defense minister Sergei Shoigu.
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PRIGOZHIN (through translator): You think you are the masters of this life?
You think you can dispose of their lives?
You think, because you have warehouses full of ammunition, that you have that right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PLEITGEN (voice-over): Now the Kremlin's secret weapon maybe its biggest threat-- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
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BRUNHUBER: Well, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I am Kim Brunhuber. You can follow me on Twitter at Kim Brunhuber. "CNN THIS MORNING" is next.
