Earlier videos from Rostov-on-Don showed increased presence of armed forces in the area
Servicemen of Russia’s private military company Wagner Group ride a tank along a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. © Sputnik / Sergey Pivovarov
A loud explosion has been heard in the vicinity of the headquarters of the Russian southern military district in Rostov-on-Don, RT correspondent Roman Kosarev, covering the PMC Wagner coup attempt reported on Saturday.
A one-minute clip shows a crowd of people running away from where the blast apparently occurred. There has been no immediate data on casualties, or whether the building sustained any damage.
The reporter also said that he had heard people screaming, telling him to get away from the scene as soon as possible.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier on Saturday that the situation in Rostov-on-Don remains “difficult,” with the functioning of local civil and military authorities being “effectively blocked.” The state will take “decisive actions to stabilize” the situation in the city, he added in an address to the nation.
Earlier in the day, multiple media outlets reported increased military movement in the southern city, with multiple videos posted to social media showing tanks parked on city crossroads and unidentified soldiers patrolling the streets and setting up roadblocks.
READ MORE: Key points of Putin’s address to nation over PMC Wagner coup attempt
On Friday, Wagner chief Evgeny Prigozhin claimed that the Russian Defense Ministry conducted a missile strike on a PMC camp, which he said resulted in multiple casualties. The ministry denied the allegation, accusing Prigozhin of spreading falsehoods. A criminal probe was opened into the Wagner chief over an alleged plot to foment a mutiny.
Putin has denounced the PMC coup attempt as “betrayal” and a “stab in the back,” while urging its supporters to “make the only right choice and stop taking part in criminal actions.”
