Wagner Group claims control of facilities in key Russian city

Putin has been briefed on an “attempted armed rebellion,” the Kremlin said

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been briefed on an “attempted armed rebellion,” the Kremlin said, after the leader of the mercenary Wagner Group said the headquarters of the Southern Military District and all military facilities in Rostov-on-Don were under his control.

The Wagner Group is a private military organization run by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a longtime ally of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, with tens of thousands of fighters, according to U.S. officials.

Earlier this year, the U.S. labeled the group a “significant transnational criminal organization” and levied new sanctions, while human rights observers this week said they suspected Wagner fighters were linked to the mass killing of people in Mali last year.

Government reports, statements from U.S. officials and insights from experts, as well as other sources, shed light on the Wagner group’s history and goals, its alleged wrongdoings and its importance to Russia — in Ukraine and elsewhere in the world.

Source: abcNews