THE Russian capital was put on high alert after Wagner mercenaries descended on the area on June 23, 2023.
The Wagner group seized control and stormed barricades in cities including Rostov-on-Don, causing panic and terror, before heading to Moscow forcing president Vladimir Putin to take cover.
Where is Vladimir Putin now?
Putin and his closest allies fled Moscow to a secret bunker after the Wagner group launched a "coup" on June 23.
It was reported that two Russian presidential jets had flown from Moscow towards St Petersburg.
It is believed Putin was on that flight alongside his top Kremlin officials with the Russian President currently at his residence in Lake Valdai.
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Lake Valdai is in the Novgorod region of north-western Russia between Moscow and St Petersburg.
Putin's property is situated to the east on a forested peninsula and separates Lake Valdai from Lake Uzhin.
The property is classified as an official presidential residence with the Russian government owning parts of it.
It is a self-contained village with around 80 buildings on the 100-hectare land.
The property boasts a palace, wood cabins, guesthouses, a Chinese pavilion, spa complex, a Russian Orthodox church, a restaurant, bowling alley, cinema, billiard room and even a private casino.
Leonid Nevzlin, an outspoken critic of the Russian government and businessman said: "Putin is hiding in the bunker of his residence in Valdai. His closest friends and associates also flew there”.
Nevzlin's strong dislike for Russian politics saw him renounce his citizenship stating that "everything that Putin touches dies".
He added: "Russian citizenship itself has become a mark of disgrace that I no longer want to bear."
A video of Putin released on June 26, 2023, did not revealed where the President was.
And it was unclear when the footage released by the Kremlin had been filmed and or if it was live.
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What happened in the Wagner group coup?
The Wagner group is a private army of fighters which works for money rather than a particular cause or country.
It was founded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is a wealthy Russian warlord and was once one of Putin's close allies.
The Wagner group’s mission was to launch a coup on the Russian military due to Prigozhin’s assertion that Russia’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu was deliberately undersupplying fighters in Ukraine.
Prigozhin also said Russia had deliberately ordered attacks on some of his men from the Wagner group.
As such, Prigozhin ordered his troops to descend onto Moscow for a “march for justice”.
Prigozhin's army went on to seize control of Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia, with reports suggesting they also held control in other key sites in Voronezh, a city further north.
The Wagner group's presence was also confirmed by the governor of Lipetsk, a city south of Moscow with video showing a convoy heading to Moscow.
Other footage showed explosions with Prigozhin claiming they were being fired upon.
Putin went on to address the Russian nation stating that Prigozhin's military descent into Moscow was a "stab in the back" and vowed to take “brutal” measures unless he retreated.
However, the coup was called off after the president of Belarus became involved.
Belarus is one of Russia’s closest allies with President Alexander Lukashenko having a long history with Prigozhin and his Wagner group.
Lukashenko initially spoke in a video message posted on Telegram when the coup began saying: "I urge you to stop”.
He added: "The enemy is just waiting for the internal political situation to worsen in our country."
Despite his warning, the mercenary group entered Russia from Ukraine stating they would go "all the way" against the Russian military.
The situation was deescalated after Lukashenko struck a deal with Prigozhin with Wagner forces pulling away from the district military headquarters.
According to Lukashenko, Prigozhin had accepted his proposal to stop advancements in Russia.
Lukashenko's press service added taht Prigozhin would take further steps to de-escalate tensions.
