MOSCOW/KYIV- Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner private military company, announced on Saturday that his fighters had crossed into Russia from Ukraine and were prepared to confront the Russian military "all the way," following accusations of armed mutiny leveled against him by the Kremlin. In response, the Russian FSB security service initiated a criminal case against Prigozhin, urging the Wagner private military company forces to disregard his orders and take him into custody, as a long-standing standoff between Prigozhin and the military top brass reached a critical point.

Prigozhin, claimed in an audio recording that Wagner fighters had entered Rostov, Russia. He vowed to eliminate any obstacles and seek revenge for alleged casualties caused by Russia's military leadership in an unverified airstrike. Although Prigozhin denied planning a military coup, his passionate audio messages hinted at mobilizing his 25,000-strong militia to overthrow the leadership of the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow. Security measures were reportedly heightened in Moscow, protecting government buildings, transportation hubs, and other critical locations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is receiving constant updates on the situation, while the White House is monitoring it closely and consulting with allies. Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia's invasion is yet to reach its main thrust, according to Ukrainian officials. Progress has been reported in advances in the southern theater of operations. General Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of Russia's campaign in Ukraine, urged Wagner fighters to obey Putin, follow Moscow's commanders, and return to their bases. He warned that political deterioration would favor Russia's enemies.

The current standoff, although lacking clear details, appears to be the most significant domestic crisis that Russian President Vladimir Putin has faced since deploying troops into Ukraine in February of the previous year.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former ally of Putin, has been engaged in a growing feud with Moscow in recent months. On Friday, he made provocative statements, accusing the army's top brass of lying about the Kremlin's rationale for invading Ukraine, which it refers to as a "special military operation."

Prigozhin, leading the Wagner private military company, has openly criticized the leadership of the defense ministry, leveraging their success in capturing the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut as a basis for his critique. However, his actions have seemingly been tolerated until now.

Lieutenant-General Vladimir Alekseyev issued a video plea to Prigozhin, urging him to reconsider his actions and respect the authority of the president in appointing the top leadership of the armed forces.

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, Russian attacks resulted in the deaths of at least three individuals, including casualties from a trolleybus company targeted in the city of Kherson. Ukrainian officials emphasized that the main part of the counteroffensive has yet to be launched, with efforts currently focused on probing weak points in the enemy's defenses.

Ukrainian commanders, such as Oleksandr Syrskyi and General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, highlighted tangible successes in advancing against Russian forces, reporting significant losses suffered by the Russian side. However, Ukrainian forces have not yet pushed to the main defensive lines that Russia has had months to prepare, despite recent gains being the most substantial in several months.