Moscow prepares for siege - media

Following Prigozhin's demarche and the start of the Wagner PMC's move towards Moscow, a counter-terrorist operation (CTO) regime has been declared in several Russian regions.

In connection with this, the security forces have been given permission to:
- wiretapping any conversations and checking correspondence
- conduct detentions and searches without further authorisation
- Forcible access to private and official premises
- use of vehicles belonging to individuals and organizations
- disconnection of all types of communication
- removal of individuals from areas and facilities

At present, Moscow is virtually sealed off by police and military units. There are reinforced patrols at every intersection and at every exit from the city.

A large number of unmarked buses with armed men inside move through the city. Inter-regional passenger transport has been suspended.

Freight and postal traffic has been suspended. There is a mass withdrawal of vehicles with an emphasis on large enclosed vans.

Civilian and service traffic on the M4 Don federal motorway (Moscow - Voronezh - Rostov-on-Don - Krasnodar - Novorossiysk) is practically stopped. All lanes are dismissed for military and truck traffic. Armed checkpoints are set up at all the exits from the highway.

All the military equipment, which was hitherto kept in reserve and in the border regions, is being brought to Moscow.

Meanwhile, Russian military correspondents write that: "The forces thrown into the defence of Moscow will not be enough to stop the Wagners. The PMCs surrender in parts, just pass under their control."

VChK-OGPU source reports that at 03.00 SDF soldiers who were on leave in Moscow and the Moscow region were armed and sent to the M4 "to meet" the Wagner PMC. Of equipment: several APCs. They are armed with the same 02 APCs (for several hours of fighting), recently mentioned by Prigozhin.

Prigozhin is clearly not bluffing, they have at least 20 thousand fighters. Many of them with serious experience. Decisions in Wagner are not made as in the MoD through a bunch of reporters at the top, but almost instantaneously. The forces deployed to defend Moscow are not enough to stop them. PMCs surrender in parts, just pass under their control," said the source.

Meanwhile, there are riots in Moscow pre-trial detention facilities.

Vladimir Putin, against the backdrop of the Wagner mutiny, called Kazakh President Kasim-Zhomart Tokayev. However, the latter replied that this was an internal Russian affair. Putin also had unsuccessful talks with the president of Uzbekistan and Lukashenko, who had fled to Turkey the night before.