MBABANE: Russian President Vladimir Putin is now facing an internal armed conflict, after the Wagner mercenary group that was fighting alongside his soldiers in Ukraine, turned against his regime this week.
The British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC) reported on Saturday that Yevgeny Prigozhin,the boss of Russia\'s Wagner group said, his mercenaries have seized \"all military facilities\" in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.
The mercenaries are alleged to have been deployed in Voronezh, further north, following Yevgeny Prigozhin threat to march to Moscow and topple Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
President Vladimir Putin said it was \"a stab in the back\" and pledged to punish those who had \"betrayed\" Russia. Meanwhile, tightened security has been introduced in many regions, including Moscow, the capital city of Russia.
The Wagner Group is a private army of mercenaries that has been fighting alongside the regular Russian army in Ukraine.
Tension has been escalating between the mercenaries and the Russian authorities over how the war has been fought, with Prigozhin launching vocal criticisms of Russia\'s military leadership in recent months.
The dramatic escalation came after Prigozhin accused Russia\'s military of hitting his group\'s base in Ukraine, a claim denied by Moscow.
Prigozhin claimed “this is not a military coup, but his aim is to topple Russia\'s military leadership”.
Yevgeny Prigozhin,the boss of Russia\'s Wagner group said, his mercenaries have seized \"all military facilities\" in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don(pic: Reuters).