this is one of those moments where you just have to put up your hands and say what on earth was that about? reports of an explosion near the ukrainian city of zaporizhzhia, site of europe's largest nuclear power plant. the threat of a major uprising against the russian president vladimir putin appears to have receded, after a deal was struck which enabled the rebel leader to retreat. yevgeny prigozhin, the head of the wagner mercenary group, pictured leaving the russian city of rostov—on—don,

is to leave for belarus.. gunfire ..and with wagnerforces firing their guns into the sky and cheers from the watching public, his troops also departed the city just hours after they controlled a military building in the city with further wagner troops moving towards moscow. travelling north on the m4 motorway, passing the city of voronezh and were spotted as far north as the lipetsk region, which is around 300 miles south of moscow. in the early evening, prigozhin announced that he had agreed to stop the advance, after a deal was brokered by the belarusian leader alexander lukashenko. our correspondent steve rosenberg looks back on a historic day. this is how the day began. in the russian city of rostov, armed men and armour on the streets. and tanks outside key buildings. in control here, the mercenary group wagner, closely linked to the state.

they'd fought for russia and ukraine. but this looked like mutiny. their leader, yevgeny prigozhin, seemed to have gone rogue after his feud with the russian defence ministry boiled over, over how the war in ukraine is being fought. at a military hq he told russian generals, "we've come for the defence minister and the chief of the general staff. if we don't get them, i'll blockade the city and head to moscow". this was treachery, said the kremlin. a stab in the back of russia. translation: our actions to defend the fatherland i from this threat will be harsh. everyone who consciously chose the path of treason and planned the armed uprising has embraced blackmail and terrorist methods. they will be inevitably punished before the law and our people.

tension rose as reports came in of wagner convoys moving north to moscow. was this heading towards confrontation in the capital? then, out of the blue, a message from mr prigozhin. to avoid bloodshed, he said, wagner would turn around and return to base. a de—escalation deal, which the leader of belarus claims to have negotiated. conflict called off. this is one of those moments where you just have to put up your hands and say, what on earth was that about? i mean, just a few hours ago yevgeny prigozhin seemed determined to march his men to the top of the hill, and then he marched them down again. we may never know what agreements were or were not reached between the key players of this bizarre drama. confused? muscovites were, by the whole affair.

"before they told us wagner was good", svetlana says. "they gave them medals for fighting in the special military operation. but now suddenly they are villains? that's hard for me to get used to." preparing to leave rostov tonight, wagnerfighters got quite a send—off. they're celebrating what they clearly see as a victory after a day of drama. let's take a closer look at the man who called for the rebellion. yevgeny prigozhin — and the group of mercenary soldiers he leads known as the wagner group. our security correspondent gordon corera has more details. yevgeny prigozhin outside russian military headquarters in rostov—on—don this morning, boasting his wagner group have taken it without firing a shot. butjust who is this man

challenging russia's leaders? prigozhin began as a criminal from st petersburg. after leaving jail, he began selling hot dogs, but then graduated to running expensive restaurants. he caught the attention of russia's leader, leading him to be known as putin's chef. he catered to world leaders when they visited, even america's president, but also became rich from lucrative military contracts. about a decade ago he began to carry out operations around the world on behalf of the kremlin, even interfering in america's 2016 election. but prigozhin became best known as head of wagner, an often—brutal private mercenary group working to the kremlin's agenda. it has been operating across the middle east and africa, including syria, libya and mali, allowing putin to project power without being directly involved. but it is in the last year in ukraine that it has really come to the fore.

as putin's plans for a quick victory faded, prigozhin's forces undertook some of the heaviest fighting. some of them came from prisons. here is prigozhin recruiting them in return for an early release. laying flowers on the graves of those who died helped him cultivate an image in russia as a nationalist hero, one who would fight harder in ukraine. but battles like in bakhmut led to growing tension between prigozhin and the regular russian military leadership. he angrily accused its leaders, like defence minister shoigu and military chief gerasimov, of using his men as cannon fodder and denying them vital supplies. prigozhin claimed russia's soldiers had been let down by their leaders, and his attacks on them became increasingly outspoken.

it was clear one side or other would have to move, bringing what had been a simmering crisis to the boil. live now to steve fish, politics professor at the university of california, berkeley. thank you forjoining us. if we were confused yesterday when this news began, we may be more confused now that it has ended. what is your view on what has happened in russia over the past 2a hours or so? happened in russia over the past 24 hours or so?- happened in russia over the past 24 hours or so? one of the thins past 24 hours or so? one of the things that _ past 24 hours or so? one of the things that have _ past 24 hours or so? one of the things that have come - past 24 hours or so? one of the things that have come out - past 24 hours or so? one of the things that have come out of. things that have come out of this is that now prigozhin looks like the strongest guy in russia. rememberthe looks like the strongest guy in russia. remember the main way that the top guy stays in power is to look stronger and tougher and unassailable. what prigozhin is done is given a lie to the idea that putin is fully in charge. prigozhin went broke months ago with his operation in ukraine, battling against army troops in ukraine for some time now. but he's the guy who has been able to roll

up guy who has been able to roll up some gains on the ground so putin has not been able to abandon them. he has gotten stronger and stronger and putting out videos every day about his own exploits in the field while the main army troops have actually managed to do very little. he already was a kind of emerging in russia as a kind of emerging in russia as a kind of war hero, famous for his exploits in the field. then he decides it will turn things around and invade russia! before he does that he issues a video where it calls into question the entire narrative that putin is told about the war and justification of the war. in the video, he says the whole story about east ukrainians, that is russian speakers in east ukraine being abused by the ukrainian government and the ukrainian government and the ukrainian government being run by a bunch of nazis, he says that is complete now that is nonsense. if nato never threatened russia and said the whole invasion was about glorifying the minister of defence, the whole invasion

of defence, the whole invasion of ukraine was basically about getting stuff for putin's ollie arcs to steal so putting in mind the war narrative, that is number one and then he invades russia with his own troops. that is number two and putin cannot stop him. he is greeted with open arms by people in the military city in the staff and takes over the head of commander military and rolled onto moscow. but commander military and rolled onto moscow.— onto moscow. but after all of that, and _ onto moscow. but after all of that, and i — onto moscow. but after all of that, and i think _ onto moscow. but after all of that, and i think one - onto moscow. but after all of that, and i think one thing i that, and i think one thing that, and i think one thing that people may be confused about is why go on this grand time raid and call out things like corruption and call out what he said about the war as you mention there and they is turn around and say that's ok, it is all over now?— it is all over now? you probably _ it is all over now? you probably realise, - it is all over now? you - probably realise, yevgeny prigozhin probably realised he was not able to make it all the way to moscow and take over moscow so we decided to cut his

losses and stop along the way and was able to negotiate an agreement with putin, which actually let him off scott free! this is a deal negotiated apparently by the dictator in belarus and made yevgeny prigozhin come off looking very strong and putinjust prigozhin come off looking very strong and putin just gave a grim faced speech hours before claiming the country was on the brink of chaos and compared the situation to 1970. then he turns around and basically pardons prigozhin and allows them to get out. this is the best possible situation for prigozhin makes him come off looking like the toughest guy in russia. by listening to some of the people that reporters are speaking to you in russia after this, are speaking to you in russia afterthis, i are speaking to you in russia after this, i wonder how far that narrative really goes because one woman for instance told reuters it does not frighten her at all and she has confidence in the president and people. president lukashenko was one of the first people

that putin spoke to after the crisis emerged and he is a close ally with putin and brokered the dealing with some of this come off or at least could putin try to spin these as he took control of the situation and solve the problem so it does not come off looking weak at all? of course it will charges but it this way but one of the other people you interviewed in your previous report also said, look, prigozhin has been treated by this government as a great hero for many months and now we have to regard him as a villain? we thought he was the guy taking charge of making gains on the ground in ukraine. then putin gives a speech and says is awful guys trying to take over the government and ruin the country. the nick ut they deal with prigozhin which basically dropped charges against him and letting go to belarus. i tell you, many people in russia now wondering how tough putin really is and if you can maintain the situation. once more, prigozhin was not stopped by the russian military on the way to moscow and stop

voluntarily and probably realised he was not going to make it all the way there and negotiated a truce in which his troops basically will probably end up going back to ukraine. it will go to belarus for a while but he will not stay there for very long. i will not be surprised to see back in ukraine or perhaps because in trouble somewhere else in the world very soon. he sells himself looking like a winner. do not think the relationship between prigozhin and putin is over. — — you do not think. you have hinted that you do not think he was stay in belarus very long but what happens to his troops still in russia? apparently they are meant to be integrated into the main military and it's not clear that will happen. there is also the danger and putin know this very well, that even though the russian military groups are looking to prigozhin as the guy who get that things done. they looking to prigozhin is the guy standing up and telling the

truth about the profiteering going on in the war, telling the truth about the fact that putin is sending hundreds of thousands of men into this conflict and into this meat grinder and does not care about their prigozhin comes off as caring about the trips and standing up for them and putin is very concerned that that could infect the thinking of the entire military. also, prigozhin comes off in the russian elite is the one guy who can stand up to putin and remembering a system like putin's if anyone is willing to stand up to the main man and get away with it, then, he really ends up looking like the biggest guy in town and that is very bad for putin. we biggest guy in town and that is very bad for putin.— very bad for putin. we will leave it there _ very bad for putin. we will leave it there and - very bad for putin. we will leave it there and thank i very bad for putin. we will. leave it there and thank you very much. steve fish, a politics professor at the californian university. the response from other countries to events in russia was cautious. nato said they were also watching events closely and the leaders of us, france, germany

and the uk held a call to discuss the situation in which they reaffirmed their support for ukraine. following events from the us and how the white house reacted, here's cbs news foreign affairs correspondent christina ruffini. the us is watching this very closely, the president at the white house had an all hands meeting, of national security advisers, cia and secretary of state when they sat and talked about this and tried to figure out what was happening because as you know the news that information was dripping out very slowly. information was dripping out very slowly-— very slowly. president biden has gone — very slowly. president biden has gone to _ very slowly. president biden has gone to camp _ very slowly. president biden has gone to camp david - very slowly. president biden has gone to camp david forl very slowly. president biden i has gone to camp david for the week and but taken his national security adviser with them, solomon was meant to be overseas in copenhagen on a conference about ukraine but he is staying close to the president as officials watch this on hold. congressional leaders have been briefed multiple times in the past couple of days about the danger posed by the wagner group, it

is unclear what exactly that danger was, and the intelligence new that the specific incident could play out, if this was the risk posed to the wagner group, it has its fingers in many regions and conflicts around the world, they have been a known quantity for a while to us officials. as officials inform officials and diplomats all over the world reacted to this today, i heard a lot of expletives that got taken off the record as everybody was trying to figure out what was going on, as events try to calm down we will see more of a regroup and some statements but for the moment the statements we have seen had mainly been the president, secretary of state and defence officials reaching out to counterparts in europe, reaching out to allies as everybody tries to get on the same page and watch essentially what unfolded today overseas. previously until the special operation in ukraine us goal for russian policy had been to put guardrails on the relationship is one form official told me today, the war

in ukraine drew a big armoured tank through those guardrails, and they no longer exist, us has been trying to manage this relationship and it is a wait—and—see situation, officials are trying to step back, the instincts of a lot of people have said this has to be good for the us, anything good for putin is good for the us, thatis for putin is good for the us, that is not necessarily the case, president may not be a huge fan of president putin but the biggest fear rush is a major nuclear—weapons holder, and the us does not want those weapons falling into the hands of an unpredictable act or kremlin to lose command and control, and that is something officials here and around the world are concerned about as they watch this play out in russia. �* ,, , ., russia. cbs news foreign affairs correspondent - russia. cbs news foreign - affairs correspondent christina ruffini. jason crow, democratic member of the us house of representatives, who sits on the house committee on foreign affairs, warned of the ongoing threat posed by the wagner group. an insecure vladimir putin is

not necessarily a good thing. do not get me wrong i am no fan of putin and i would like to see him not be the leader of russia, but you have to look at the global political element, wagner group has its arms and lots of different places around the world, africa, the middle east, number countries and autocrats rely on the wagner group for their own security and to prop up their regimes. we need to keep a close eye on whether those mercenary �*s withdrawal from those areas, withdrawal from those areas, with a command and control is destabilised and whether other conflict in africa and the middle east in particular might be permeating to the surface in weeks ahead. one thing the biden administration is doing is engaging in the next —— last couple of months with countries reluctant to take sides in this conflict and silent about russian aggression in ukraine. they have been talking to these countries and saying look, this is the ballot for freedom and

democracy you cannot stay neutral here, russia is not a stable and reliable partner and you should come our way. it is more beneficial to align with democracies and autocracies, and as a matter of fact there are see —— senior biden administration officials meeting with some of those countries and delegations from places in the global south, africa, and other places trying to make their case. all they have to do is turn the tv on and that makes the case for them, there is no future in partnering with an autocratic country, especially russia because there is no predictability —— predictability —— predictability and stability in that. g ., ,., predictability and stability in that. g . ., predictability and stability in that. jason crowe, democratic member of — that. jason crowe, democratic member of the _ that. jason crowe, democratic member of the house - that. jason crowe, democratic member of the house of - member of the house of representatives. in london, the government held a meeting of its emergency cabinet committee, known as cobra, to discuss the impact of the events in russia. here's the prime minister rishi sunak. it's an evolving situation. and i think the right thing at this juncture is for us to make sure that we are on top of it, that we are in touch

with our allies, which we are. and i'll be speaking to them later today. and that we call on all parties to exercise responsibility and to protect civilian lives. that's the most important thing for us in the uk to be doing at thisjuncture. injust over a day — events escalated and then de—escalated quickly — let's take a look back at what happened. on friday — the wagner boss launched a rant blaming the russian defence minister for the war in ukraine — and called for a �*march for justice'. he then also called for an armed rebellion — and security was stepped up across russia — including the capital moscow. prigozhin declared that 25,000 of his troops crossed into russia from ukraine — and then took control of a military building in rostov — near the ukrainian border. as security continued to be tightened in moscow — president putin issued a statement on television — denouncing what he called the �*criminal adventure' and warned of punishments. over the course of the day — wagner forces made their way up the m4 motorway from rostov

towards moscow, seizing military facilies in voronezh along the way. but then in the early evening in russia — prigozhin told his troops to stop. later it was revealed that a deal had been reached between the wagner chief and putin — with prigozhin heading to belarus and that he would face no criminal charges. in kyiv, the ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky said the wagner mutiny was a clear sign of weakness in the kremlin. meanwhile — ukrainian forces have been pushing to recapture some of the territory invaded by russia , including settlements in the eastern donetsk region , and the southern region of zaporizhzhia , but progress has been slow. fighting is also continuing around the eastern city of bakhmut, most of which is still under russian control after prolonged fighting and this is where the wagner group have suffered heavy losses. our correspondent

andrew harding reports from the donbas in eastern ukraine. a warning — you may find some of the scenes upsetting. a ukrainian army doctor rushes to help yet another casualty this morning near the front lines. russia may be in disarray today, but the fighting here near the town of bakhmut is as ferocious as ever. rough and ready treatment for this soldier, who's got a chunk of shrapnel in his thigh. the doctor here, his call sign is yoda, plots the next rescue mission to the nearby battlefield. as for the news of mutiny in russia... with weary eyes, yoda says, "most of us don't really believe it, "or maybe it's a performance, something to try to distract us. "what matters is that we fight on." they are just heading off now to the front line to pick up some more wounded. the fighting seems to be getting much more intense around bakhmut.

and the word from the ukrainians is that they are advancing now steadily, metre by metre. so are ukrainian troops already taking advantage of the chaos in russia's military? that must surely be the plan. there is certainly a big opportunity to seize here, with ukraine's counteroffensive already poised to move up several gears. that's ukrainian jets flying above. that was two ukrainian jets flying very low overhead. we are having to stand at the trees here because the medics here are telling us russian drones are constantly patrolling every day looking for them. another doctor, known as afghan, who i last met a year ago, is weary and cautious about what comes next. how is the counteroffensive going?

hmm. difficult? yes. as if to prove the point... incoming russian artillery. then another casualty arrives from the front. 56—year—old alexander. more shrapnel. and yet, as heavy as the fighting still is, there is renewed hope here that a demoralised, divided russian enemy may be in big trouble and that putin's warjust might have reached a turning point. with more on the offensive here is general douglas lute. former us permanent representative to

nato. this exposes weakness in the kremlin facing —— placing at risk the headquarters in rostov, diverting the attention of russian soldiers and decreasing the morale of russian frontline soldiers presents a huge opportunity for the ukrainian counteroffensive. now is the time to strike, while russia and their attention is divided, and while russia has to look not only to the west, to the ukrainian counteroffensive but now increasingly to the east, and wondering about the loyalty is forces in russia itself. i think prigozhin and the wagner group will be cut down to size, i do not buy this recent explanation, that lukashenko explanation, that lu kashenko and explanation, that lukashenko and belarus mediated some sort of deal that will diffuse the situation and everything will be ok tomorrow. in coming days you will see a harsh form of

putin justice, you will see a harsh form of putinjustice, brought you will see a harsh form of putin justice, brought 21 and the leadership of wagner group. this will not be forgiven and forgotten. this will not be forgiven and forgotten-— forgotten. general douglas lute. and for more info on everything happening in russia, please head to the bbc news website and app — where our team is tracking every development — with full background, analysis, and the latest bbc reporting. all roadblocks have been less lifted around moscow. stay with us here on bbc news. hello. a hot night out there, very humid indoors, too, after what was a hot day. on saturday in the south—east of england, temperatures hit 29 degrees celsius and sunday is going to be hotter still. again, humid for many of us

and there's a chance of storms, particularly across northern parts of the uk. now, some of the storms could be pretty nasty with frequent lightning, hail and gusty winds. this is what's happening right now. there is a cold frontjust to the west of our neighbourhood. it is going to sweep in some fresher conditions but ahead of it, we've got that plume of heat and also moisture, that humidity coming in from the southern climes, so there is a change on the way. this is what it looks like early in the morning on sunday, those temperatures still holding around the high teens. this is where the weather front is. it's ready to sweep across the uk. not everybody�*s going to get the rain. the rain will fall in northern ireland during the morning, then the skies will brighten up and it'll be a fresh afternoon. and then, that rain will reach scotland and parts of northern england. there'll be a few showers in wales, too, but it's across northern and eastern scotland, the north—east of england and all the way down to lincolnshire — this is where we're likely to see the heaviest downpours with the hail and the gusty winds as well. south of that, that's where we'll have the heat and humidity.

in london and the south—east, temperatures could hit 32 degrees celsius but for the west, it's going to be fresher — plymouth, 23, about that in cardiff, and i think a very pleasant 19 degrees celsius in belfast in the sunny spells and maybe the odd shower. and during the course of sunday evening, still some showers there across parts of scotland and northern england but for many of us, a very pleasant end to the day. let's have a look at monday now. we're sort of in between weather systems. one weather front clears away, another one waiting in the wings out towards the west of the uk. so, the morning starts off sunny on monday. through the course of the afternoon, clouds will bubble up. there'll be a few showers here and there, particularly across northern parts of the uk but, essentially, a very pleasant day — a lot fresher, too. you really will notice the difference across many parts of england. in london, from the 32 degrees, more like 23 degrees celsius. and if we have a look at the weather for the week ahead, you can see the weather is looking a little bit mixed every now and then but still pretty warm in the south —

temperatures low or mid 20s. the high teens expected further north. bye— bye.

this is bbc news, the headlines: cheering crowds watched the leader of the wagner mercenary group, yevgeny prigozhin, leave the russian city of rostov for belarus. it was only hours after he called off his rebellion against the russian military. the kremlin says he will not face any criminal charges.