Prigozhin goes to Moscow and back, Ukrainian Armed Forces launch offensive on several fronts: highlights of the day
Owner of Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has led his mercenaries from Rostov to the outskirts of Moscow, but eventually turns the convoys back. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Eastern Military Group has launched an offensive on several fronts and is making progress. We have collected the main news for June 24.
The uprising that didn't happen
On June 24, Prigozhin's mercenaries seized military facilities in Rostov, including the headquarters of the Southern Military District of the Russian Federation and the airfield, and took control of military facilities in the city of Voronezh. The Wagner PMC convoy was also in Lipetsk Oblast. the Russian authorities were already preparing for the siege of Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Prigozhin's actions a "stab in the back of the country and the people" and said that Russian troops had already received an order to "neutralize the rebels." In search of a solution, the Russian president called the leaders of Belarus, Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan.
Early on June 24, self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that the owner of the Wagner PMC had agreed to stop the movement of mercenaries in the territory of Russia in a conversation with Lukashenko.
Subsequently, Prigozhin himself confirmed that his mercenaries were turning their convoys around and heading in the opposite direction. According to him, the mercenaries "passed within a day without reaching 200 kilometers to Moscow." He did not mention a conversation with Lukashenko.
The Kremlin says that the criminal case against Yevgeny Prigozhin will be dropped, he will "go to Belarus," and the authorities will not prosecute the Wagnerites for attempting a coup. The guarantee that Prigozhin will be able to go to Belarus "is the word of the Russian president."
The offensive of Ukrainian troops
Against the backdrop of Yevgeny Prigozhin's uprising in Russia, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said that these events are a "window of opportunity" for Ukraine, but that it should be treated with caution and "prepare for any scenario."
In the evening, Malyar reported that the Ukrainian Eastern Group of Troops launched an offensive on the Bakhmut axis and the settlements near Bakhmut, and towards Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bohdanivka, Yahidne, Klishchiyivka and Kurdyumivka. According to her, there is progress on all axes.
In addition, today it became known that the Ukrainian military near Krasnohorivka, Donetsk Oblast, seized several positions that had been under occupation since 2014. This happened about a week ago.
Missile attack on Kyiv
During the night, Russians launched their eighth air attack on Kyiv in a month. Ukrainian air defense shot down more than 20 Kh-101/555 missiles around the capital. The debris fell on a 25-story building in the Solomyanskyi district of the capital, causing a fire.
Three people were reported dead and about a dozen injured. The falling debris caused partial destruction of building structures on the 15th, 16th, 17th, and 18th floors.
Prytula Foundation has closed the "mega-fundraiser"
The Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation has announced the closure of its "mega-fundraiser" for more than UAH 100 million. The Foundation plans to use the money raised to purchase equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine:
- 7 EOS drones (which help to guide HIMARS),
- 1,000 FPV drones and equipment for them;
- 20 boats (for landing);
- 30 IVECO trucks (for transportation of military and ammunition).
According to Prytula, in three days they managed to raise UAH 110,536,980 ($3 million), nine million more than planned.
In 10 cities of Ukraine, the condition of shelters is unsatisfactory
The condition of shelters in Kyiv, Kherson, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Dnipro, Konotop and Bila Tserkva was found to be unsatisfactory.
The President's Office claims that disciplinary decisions will be made within a week against officials responsible for the condition of the shelters.