Ukraine: The Latest - Wagner group advances on Moscow as Kremlin mobilizes defences

Today on Ukraine: The Latest, as the Wagner Group captures military installations in Russian cities and its armoured columns come under fire as they rumble towards Moscow - we have the latest updates and analysis as Yevgeny Prigozhin launches an unprecedented coup against the Kremlin.  

Firstly, Dom Nicholls brought us up to speed with events inside Russia. 

In an operation that’s been characterized as a ‘March for Freedom’,  has crossed into Russia from Ukraine and elsewhere, and reportedly taken control of key security sites in two cities inside Russia, including the headquarters from which Russia is running the military operation in Ukraine.

Roland Oliphant noted the unprecedented nature of the coup. 

This is the first time I can remember, since the kind of Chechen war was of the 1990s, like the first actual physical challenge to Vladimir Putin’s authority. It’s a clear attempt to mount a coup and it just breaks so many assumptions about, about Russia and how it works.

Nataliya Vasilyeva reported on the situation on the ground in Rostov. 

A number of people I contacted completely shocked me by telling me that, you know, everything is fine. We’re having a nice weekend, nothing to see here. Whereas some others sounded genuinely concerned. They sound worried because they, they feel that it has finally happened that the war has come to come to Russia, has come to their town.

James Kilner put the story into context.

Knowing Russia as I have done for 20 years, the Russian people have already been asked to give up so much through Putin’s misadventure and his opportunism and his callous disregard for life with his invasion of Ukraine. They’ve already sacrificed so much  and it’s gone so badly, and now they see him being openly challenged, which in the Russian societal dicta is very important Rubicon that should never be crossed. Once it’s been crossed, the person who’s been challenged is more or less forever weakened. 

Francis Dearnley analysed what the timing of the attempted coup means for Vladimir Putin, Ukraine and the West. 

The timing is terrible for Putin. Perhaps for the first time in many, many months, perhaps even the whole duration of the war, Putin had gained some control of the narrative following the slower than expected counter offensive, no longer. This will serve as a huge morale boost for the Ukrainians and their Western allies.

Finally, Roland Oliphant looked to Putin’s near future 

Lenin said, power is lying in the streets of St. Petersburg waiting for somebody to pick it up, by which he meant,  there’s all these people sitting around, what you need is a bunch of very determined guys with guns who are ready to go do stuff, kill people, get the job done, and power can be yours.
 

I rather think that’s what Yevgeny Prigozhin thinks as well.  I think he’s spotted a moment when power is lying around. You know, the Army’s been sent to Ukraine. Who is actually gonna stop a very determined bunch of guys with guns who are willing to do this.

Which brings us to another grim truism. I think we’ve all known for a long time that Vladimir Putin is not going to leave the Kremlin until he dies. He is a president dictator for life. That’s the reality. Everyone wants to think it can be done another way, but probably the transfer of power is gonna be quite bloody and and I fear that’s what we’re about to see.

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War in Ukraine is reshaping our world. Every weekday the Telegraph’s top journalists analyse the invasion from all angles - military, humanitarian, political, economic, historical - and tell you what you need to know to stay updated.

With over 30 million downloads, our Ukraine: The Latest podcast is your go-to source for all the latest analysis, live reaction and correspondents reporting on the ground. We have been broadcasting ever since the full-scale invasion began.

Ukraine: The Latest’s regular contributors are:

David Knowles

David is Head of Social Media at the Telegraph where he has worked for almost two years. Previously he worked for the World Economic Forum in Geneva. He speaks French.

Dominic Nicholls

Dom is Associate Editor (Defence) at the Telegraph having joined in 2018. He previously served for 23 years in the British Army, in tank and helicopter units. He had operational deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and Northern Ireland. 

Francis Dearnley

Francis is Assistant Comment Editor at the Telegraph. Prior to working as a journalist, he was Chief of Staff to the Chair of the Prime Minister’s Policy Board at the Houses of Parliament in London. He studied History at Cambridge University and on the podcast explores how the past shines a light on the latest diplomatic, political, and strategic developments.

They are also regularly joined by the Telegraph’s foreign correspondents around the world, including Joe Barnes (Brussels), Sophia Yan (China), Nataliya Vasilyeva (Russia), Roland Oliphant (Senior Reporter) and Colin Freeman (Reporter). In London, Venetia Rainey (Weekend Foreign Editor), Katie O’Neill (Assistant Foreign Editor), and Verity Bowman (News Reporter) also frequently appear to offer updates.