Russian President Vladimir Putin says an “armed mutiny” by the Wagner Group is treason, adding that “decisive action” will be taken against them.

The authorities in Moscow and the surrounding area say they have declared a “counterterrorism” state of emergency after Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed his forces were in control of military sites in Rostov.

Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has accused the Russian military of attacking his advancing troops.

In a previous post (below), we reported on a Wagner convoy that was spotted north of Voronezh, a city in which Wagner has reportedly seized military facilities.

“We were fired upon: first artillery strikes, and then from helicopters,” Prigozhin said in a Telegram post, without giving evidence or specifying where the alleged attack happened.

Wagner took city without firing a single shot – Prigozhin

We’ve been reporting that the rebelling Wagner Group mercenaries have claimed they now control Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia.

In a new audio message posted on Wagner’s Telegram page, Yevgeny Prigozhin claims his troops took the city “without a single shot being fired [by us]”.

He also claims residents of Rostov-on-Don were supporting his troops because of their continuing “justice march”.

Russia’s state-run media has broadcast footage apparently showing Rostov residents arguing with Wagner troops and urging them to obey orders by President Vladimir Putin.

The claims have not been independently verified.

Our BBC Verify team has verified a video showing a Wagner convoy of armed vehicles travelling on the M4 motorway, which links Voronezh and Moscow through the region of Lipetsk. The picture above is taken from the video.

As we’ve mentioned, the governor of the Lipetsk region has asked residents to stay home and avoid travelling, either with public vehicles or on public transport.

Regional authorities in Lipetsk have said that all bus services in the region are cancelled until further notice.

Voronezh is one of two cities – the other being Rostov-on-Don, further south – in which Wagner mercenaries have reportedly seized key sites.

The situation in the region is fast moving, and we’ll bring you more updates shortly.

We’ll return to the latest developments from the ground in a second, but first, let’s take a step back.

In February, David Aaronovitch and guests discussed the Wagner group in detail in an episode of BBC Radio 4’s The Briefing Room.

The mercenary group has been responsible for much of Russia’s military success in Ukraine.

Earlier this year, the group took control of Soledar, a salt mine town in the east of the country.

But the battle for Soledar also showed the first signs of an emerging rift between Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and the Kremlin.

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Nato leaders meeting for a summit in Brussels have warned of the military threat posed by China, saying its behaviour is a “systemic challenge”.

China, they said, was rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, was “opaque” about its military modernisation and was co-operating militarily with Russia.

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg warned China was “coming closer” to Nato in military and technological terms.

But he stressed the alliance did not want a new Cold War with China.

Nato is a powerful political and military alliance between 30 European and North American countries. It was established after World War Two in response to the threat of communist expansion.

In recent years, the alliance came under strain as leaders debated its purpose and funding.

Tensions grew during the presidency of Donald Trump, who complained about his country’s financial contributions to the alliance and questioned the US commitment to defend European partners.

It is his successor Joe Biden’s first Nato meeting since taking office, and the new president has sought to reassert American backing for the 72-year-old alliance.

Mr Biden said Nato was critically important for “US interests” and the alliance had a “sacred obligation” to observe Article 5 of its founding treaty, which commits members to defend each other from attack.

Asked about his forthcoming summit with Vladimir Putin in Geneva on Wednesday, he described the Russian president as a “worthy adversary”.

In another development, the Nato leaders also agreed to pay to keep Kabul airport running as the US and its allies withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

Why is Nato focusing on China?

According to the summit’s communiqué (concluding statement), China’s “stated ambitions and assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to Alliance security”.

“We remain concerned with China’s frequent lack of transparency and use of disinformation,” it says.

Mr Stoltenberg told reporters: “We’re not entering a new Cold War and China is not our adversary, not our enemy.”

But, he added, “we need to address together, as the alliance, the challenges that the rise of China poses to our security”.

China is one of the world’s leading military and economic powers, whose ruling Communist Party has a tight grip on politics, daily life and much of society.

Nato has become increasingly concerned about the growing military capabilities of China, which it sees as a threat to the security and democratic values of its members.

In recent years, the alliance has also grown wary of China’s activities in Africa, where it has set up army bases.

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Access to the internet appears to have been blocked for a second night running by Myanmar’s new military rulers.

UK-based monitor NetBlocks reported a “near-total internet shutdown” from 01:00 local time (18:30 GMT) on Tuesday.

It is the fourth shutdown since the 1 February coup as the junta tries to stifle dissent, much of it online.

Earlier, the military authorities announced stiff penalties for those opposing the coup leaders.

Signs that another outage was imminent came after an internet service provider told BBC Burmese that online access was being blocked.

The latest shutdown follows a pattern aimed at disrupting continuing opposition to the coup, which overthrew elected leaders including longtime democracy campaigner, Aung San Suu Kyi, who is still in custody.

Access to Facebook, a rallying point for a campaign of civil disobedience, was restricted soon after the coup. Use of Twitter and Instagram was also disrupted.

Major telecoms provider Telenor has said it will no longer be updating a list on its website of internet disruption. It told AFP news agency that the situation was “confused and unclear” and said that employee safety was a “top priority”.

What is happening on the streets?

The military’s presence is growing. At many strategic locations, soldiers have replaced the police.

In the main city, Yangon, eight-wheeled armoured vehicles have been seen trying to navigate the rush-hour traffic, sometimes surrounded by cars honking in opposition to the coup.

Protests focused on the central bank building, the US and Chinese embassies, and the city headquarters of Ms Su Kyi’s National League for Democracy.

As demonstrators gathered in the central city of Mandalay again on Monday, there were reports of security forces firing rubber bullets to disperse crowds.

In footage posted on social media, the sound of what appears to be gunshots can be heard as crowds flee, with several people later appearing to display injuries.

A leading student activist who has gone into hiding, Myo Ko Ko, told the BBC why he and others were willing to risk their lives.

“We strongly believe in democracy and human rights. We know that it’s risky,” he said.

“I have to move to another place day by day because of being searched (for) by police. We hope the international community will help us.”

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L’article Myanmar coup: Military takes country offline for second night est apparu en premier sur زوايا ميادين | Mayadin Columns.