Russia opens criminal investigation into Wagner Group chief

A Russian government agency is opening a criminal investigation into Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin after he called for an armed rebellion on Friday, which was aimed at removing the country’s defense minister.

In a series of video and audio recordings, Prigozhin angrily accused Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu of ordering a rocket strike on the private military contractor’s field camps where the group is fighting on behalf of Russia in Ukraine.

“This is not a military coup, but a march of justice,” Prigozhin declared.  “The evil embodied by the country’s military leadership must be stopped.”

“This scum will be stopped,” Prigozhin said, referring to Shoigu.

Russia’s Defense Ministry denied executing the rocket attack.

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According to state news agency Taas, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee, part of the Federal Security Services, will be opening a criminal investigation on charges of calling for an armed rebellion. The report states that Russian President Vladimir Putin was kept informed of the situation.

“The allegations circulated on behalf of Yevgeny Prigozhin are groundless. In connection with these statements, the FSB of Russia has initiated a criminal case into the call for an armed rebellion. We demand an end to illegal actions,” the National Anti-Terrorism Committee siad in a statement, according to Russian state television Channel One.

Moscow appears to be taking the threat seriously, as the National Guard and riot police were sent to provide security for key facilities in Moscow, which includes transport infrastructure and government agencies, according to Taas.

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Rebekah Koffler, a Russian-born former DIA intelligence officer told Fox News Digital that the Wagner Group chief has gone too far in a fight with the FSB.

“It appears that Prigozhin has crossed the line in his fight with the Russian security bureaucracy. The FSB, Russian domestic security service has opened a criminal investigation into Prigozhin, following his calling for a military rebellion, according to the National Counter-terrorism committee,” Koffler said. “This has to be a major headache for Putin now.”

In a statement to Fox News, National Security Council Spokesperson Adam Hodge said “We are monitoring the situation and will be consulting with allies and partners on these developments.”

This is a developing story.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.