Moscow authorities are considering imposing a state of siege over the rebellion of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, whose forces captured Rostov overnight and are reportedly moving towards the Russian capital, according to independent Russian publication The Moscow Times. .

MoscowPhoto: AMIRREZA KAMKAR / Sciencephoto / Profimedia

Since Friday evening, the local authorities of Moscow have been inspecting the basements of buildings and the land near them, reports “Meduza” with reference to a source close to the city hall.

The source said that the “ATO” regime announced in Moscow allows the introduction of a state of siege, but a decision on this matter has not yet been made, although “everything can change.”

Thus, law enforcement officers can monitor all telephone conversations and messages in online messengers, disconnect communications, inspect and seize personal vehicles and property of citizens, enter residential premises.

At night, military equipment was seen on the streets of Moscow in front of government buildings, and in the morning roadblocks appeared at the entrances to the city.

The information about blocking of traffic at the entrances and exits from Moscow “does not correspond to reality”, said the mayor of the city Serhii Sobyanin.

Difficulties may arise due to increased checks, he explained.

Sobyanin called for calm and reminded that President Vladimir Putin called for unity in his Saturday speech.

Public events in Moscow have been canceled for at least a week. Meduza’s source suggested that the ban would then be extended.

Another Meduza source in the Moscow City Hall reported that 100,000 surveillance cameras are operating in the capital and their condition is being monitored.

The mayor of Moscow, Serhii Sobyanin, said that security measures had been strengthened in the city and “additional control on the roads” had been introduced.

During a meeting in Rostov-on-Don with Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Deputy Chief of the General Staff Volodymyr Alekseev, the founder of the Wagner PMC Yevhen Prigozhin said that “we are going to Moscow.”