Why is Wagner attacking Russia?

Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to punish “traitors” from the Wagner mercenary group, after its leader swore he would topple Moscow´s military leadership.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, 62, released a series of messages from late Friday into Saturday, claiming that he and his mercenary troops had entered the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and taken control of its military sites.

Why is Wager attacking Russia?

For months, Prigozhin has been locked in a power struggle with the military top brass, blaming them for his troops´ deaths in eastern Ukraine.

He has repeatedly accused them of failing to equip his private army adequately, of holding up progress with bureaucracy, while claiming victories won by Wagner as their own.

On Friday, Prigozhin´s anger appeared to boil over, as he accused Moscow´s military leadership of ordering strikes on Wagner´s camps and killing a large number of forces.

He said they had to be stopped and vowed to “go to the end”.

He later claimed his forces had downed a Russian military helicopter.

Hours later, the leader of the mercenary group said he had military sites in southern Russia´s Rostov-on-Don “under control”.