This is a turning point in Russia's 16-month full-scale conflict in Ukraine and could pose a threat to Vladimir Putin's rule.
The head of the Wagner mercenary company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been accused by the Russian president of betraying the country by inciting an armed rebellion that was "a stab in the back of our country.".
One of the most prominent figures in Russia, Prigozhin, claims that his goal is "not a military coup but a march for justice.".
With thousands of recruits for his Wagner mercenary group, especially from Russian prisons, Prigozhin has played a crucial part in Russia's military campaign in Ukraine for months.
His long-running open conflict with the military commanders in charge of the conflict has now escalated into a revolt.
Wagner forces claim to have taken control of Rostov-on-Don's military facilities after crossing from the occupied eastern Ukraine into that large city in southern Russia.
In spite of the challenging circumstances, President Putin has vowed to do everything in his power to defend Russia.
According to Prigozhin, there was no military coup.
However, what started out as a heated argument over the military's failure to provide his mercenaries with enough equipment and ammunition has now escalated into a direct challenge to the two men in charge of carrying out the war, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and armed forces chief Valery Gerasimov.
Since there hasn't been any attempt to overthrow the government, this isn't a coup yet. However, it is an attempt to unseat Russia's top military leaders, which calls into question the president's authority.
He said, "There's 25,000 of us.". "Come join us if you want. This is a challenge to the military leadership but not enough to threaten the president.
He moved his troops into Rostov across the border, where they appear to have surrounded the military command center where the war is being managed. He then claims that the minister and chief of staff have fled.
how this progressed.
Prigozhin has been a close friend and ally of President Putin for a long time. Under his leadership, he has prospered both as a successful businessman and as a leader of mercenaries.
His Wagner fighters have lost a great deal of blood in the arduous, months-long battle to partially capture Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. With graphic videos and profanity-filled social media rants, Prigozhin exposed the shortcomings and divisions of Russia's military in Ukraine and blamed them for shell shortages.
His sarcastic references to the president's "happy grandfather" were widely interpreted as indirect criticism, even though he never expressed his anger toward the president directly. He questioned last month how Russia could triumph if it turned out that "this grandfather is an absolute a**hole.".
Then, on June 23, he launched into a protracted tirade in which he accused the Russians of lying throughout their war justification and using it as a means of self-promotion and deception of the public and the president by "a small group of scumbags.".
Since then, things have changed quickly.
Prigozhin claimed that the military had set up a deadly shelling attack on his men in Ukraine, but the military refuted his claims and he was unable to provide the usual level of supporting documentation.
Late on Friday, he declared that his "march for justice" had begun. Their entire army and the entire nation would serve as their "strategic reserve," while his force of 25,000 would only be a "tactical reserve.".
He was urged to back off and submit to President Putin's authority by Gen Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of the forces in Ukraine.
However, by morning, Prigozhin's men had arrived in Rostov and announced, "We are inside [military] headquarters. ".
This is not a direct criticism of the president's leadership or of Russia's conflict in Ukraine. However, it is important enough for the Russian president to make a five-minute televised speech that is unwavering and determined.
If his military demands are not met, Prigozhin has threatened to move beyond Rostov and toward Moscow.
He had only fought the military leadership up until this point to get more weapons, but now he is going after the leadership itself.
In spite of the fact that Prigozhin enjoys strong public support in Russia, the military that has relied on his mercenaries in Ukraine is currently in a precarious situation.
But this is also a turning point in Putin's presidency and a warning to Russians as a whole. It's too early to predict how it will turn out.
