Foreign countries|Prigozhin’s Rebellion
People living in Rostov-on-Don tell HS by phone and message how the events in the city have progressed and what they can conclude from them.
“Wagner occupied the city in two hours. They would have done it faster, but the tanks move slowly,” says an employee of the Rostov city administration in Donin to Helsingin Sanomat’s assistant in Russia by phone. For security reasons, the names of the interviewee and assistant will not be published.
According to the Rostovian, all officials were ordered to work on Saturday morning.
“Many did not come. The authorities are really scared,” he says.
According to the official, the employees of the administration have not heard from the head of the Ministry of the Interior in the region.
Even on Friday, according to him, everything seemed calm.
“Yesterday, there was no one on the entrance to the city except for a couple of traffic police cars.”
“This is either horrendously careless or carefully planned.”
Official according to the impression is now that Russia’s “leaders of the security forces are very scared” and that two regimes operate side by side in the city.
Other residents of Rostov say the same thing. HS also received a video from the city. The video shows Russian security forces and Wagner soldiers on alert in the streets.
A screenshot from the video obtained by HS Don from Rostov shows that there are armed Wagner soldiers on the ground in the street. On the right are soldiers of the Ministry of Defence.
People seem to follow the events calmly. The video includes many swear words and the statement: “this is like in the movies”. HS has received the video from its creator.
One Those who can be reached by phone from Rostov are called Valery. While the general mood seems uncertain and disbelieving, Valeri says he is convinced that Wagner’s actions are good.
“I fully support Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin and their thoughts,” says Valeri. “I used to have a different view of this war. But it seems that our troops are completely stuck due to lack of ammunition and bad commanders. Too many people have already died. The big mistake of our government was to go to war in Ukraine. So now we need another government. I’m sure Prigozhin would end this war against Ukrainians if he came to power in Russia.”
So age interviewed by phone Evgeni says he is afraid.
“I understand Prigozhin’s motives,” says Evgeni. “But I’m really scared. They are here now and I don’t doubt for a second that the Kremlin will try to regain control of the city. I’m afraid they’re going to bomb us. They did it in Ukraine and even in the Belgorod region. Scary.”
Interviewed estimate that people are getting more nervous all the time. Many would like to escape, but they have received information that the exits of the city are blocked. There is talk that stores are running out of food, and money cannot be withdrawn from ATMs.
On the other hand, a young man claims to have hung out in a rogue bar with Wagner’s soldiers and feasted on crayfish tails.
HS received a photo from Donin Rostov, which shows that the store’s shelves were emptied on Saturday.
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