Russians are fleeing Moscow as the Wagner Group advances towards the city.
Stringer/Reuters
Russians are attempting to flee as Wagner Group forces approach Moscow.
Images and videos from Rostov-on-Don showed packed crowds in the city’s train station.
Meanwhile, direct flights out of Moscow are sold out.
Russians are lining up in travel hubs as the Wagner Group advances towards Moscow, videos and photographs suggest.
One post showed the Rostov-on-Don train station jam-packed with travelers attempting to leave after the Wagner Group, a Russian mercenary organization, captured the key Southern port city on Saturday.
—Thomas van Linge (@ThomasVLinge) June 24, 2023
Meanwhile, outside the station, one video reportedly shows shoulder-to-shoulder crowds gathering along the train tracks at the Rostov-on-Don Central Station in order to flee the region.
—Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 24, 2023
Earlier Saturday, direct flights leaving Moscow sold out as Russians scrambled to leave when news became clear that Wagner’s forces were approaching. The Russian capital appeared to be gearing up for a fight, with photos showing security forces on guard throughout the city.
Sergei Sobyanin, Moscow’s mayor, urged residents to stay home and declared Monday a non-working day.
Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin launched his so-called “march for justice” on Friday after claiming, without hard evidence, that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered an air strike on Wagner forces in Ukraine. Tensions between the two military leaders have simmered for months.