Military vehicles and soldiers were seen on the streets of Rostov-on-Don on Saturday morning (24 June) as the owner of the Wagner private military contractor, who called for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defence minister, claimed that he and his troops had reached the city after crossing the border from Ukraine. It was not immediately verifiable who the troops were aligned with. Vladimir Putin said an “armed mutiny” by the Wagner Group mercenary force was treason and a “mortal blow” to Russia’s troops, as he responded in a speech.