It does appear that a Russian Civil War is occurring, whereby Wagner Group - Russia's version of Blackwater - has taken Rostov and the headquarters of the Russian military's Southern District. Wagner military personnel vacated positions in Ukraine and are moving north toward Moscow.
President Putin and former Prime Minister, now Deputy Chairman of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, have left Moscow.
According to the FSB, Wagner was effectively paid by American and British intelligence agencies to launch an armed coup. The deal was brokered by an unnamed Middle Eastern country. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder and owner of Wagner Group, has Israeli citizenship and it is strongly suspected that Israel played a key role in the payoff. Israel has heretofore made it possible for Prigozhin to bypass EU and US sanctions.
The Russian military continues its operations in Ukraine, but other units have been moved toward Moscow. Meanwhile, early reports of Wagner building defensive positions in Rostov have been confirmed by photographs and videos showing Wagner operators setting anti-tank mines. The Russian military has systematically destroyed key bridges and roads leading to Moscow from the South.
Other nation-states have weighed in, but all eyes are on China.
Awaiting a speech by Putin this morning.
More to follow.