REBEL WAGNER RUSSIAN MERCENARIES SEIZE PART OF SECOND CITY IN THEIR CONTROL - AS PUTIN VOWS HEAVY PUNISHMENT FOR TREASON!

 THE BELEAGURED  PUTIN CRIES FOUL, FOLLOWING BETRAYAL AND TREASON!!

1. President Putin decries "betrayal" and "treason" following a dramatic challenge by the chief of the Wagner mercenary force
2. Prigozhin called for a rebellion against the army - although he has denied attempting a coup
3. Wagner says it has taken the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don near the Ukraine border - residents have been told to stay indoors
4. BBC News Russian sources also say Wagner mercenaries have seized military facilities in Voronezh, which is halfway between Rostov and Moscow
   
   
   
5. Prigozhin has threatened to march on Moscow unless he meets Russia's defence minister - and the UK says Wagner troops are heading towards the capital
6. On Friday night, security in Russia was tightened, the internet was restricted and military trucks were spotted on Moscow streets
7. Prigozhin accused the army of launching a deadly attack on his forces in Ukraine, where Wagner troops are fighting for Russia - Moscow denies this.
   
   
   

8. Why Rostov-on-Don is significant

   We've been writing a lot about Rostov-on-Don, the first city targeted by Wagner mercenaries.

   It's an important city, and hosts the headquarters of the Russian Southern Military District command, which is currently engaged in operations against Ukrainian counteroffensives in southern Ukraine.

   It's also located just 100km (60 miles) from the Ukrainian border and houses a command centre for the Russian forces in Ukraine, as well as being a logistical hub for the Russian army.

   The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank notes that any disruption or threat to the Russian military’s presence in Rostov "is likely to have ramifications on some critical aspects of the war effort".

9. FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-66006142