good morning, and welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm wolf blitzer in london. we're following breaking news right now, out of russia. major historic breaking news. president vladimir putin facing the greatest threat to his authority since he first rose to power some 23 years ago. putin is accusing his one-time ally, yevgeny prigozhin of an armed rebellion, his words, armed rebellion, prigozhin says his forces have taken control of key military facilities in voronezh and rostov-on-don region. he threatens to move on to moscow if russia's top general and defense minister don't meet with him.

listen to this. >> translator: again, we came here, we want to receive the chief of general staff shoigu, and so they are here, and so they are here, we will be located here, blockading the city of rostov-on-don, and we will go to moscow. >> president putin calls the actions by prigozhin a betrayal, his words, and a stab in the back to the russian people. he said those who follow him will pay the price. >> translator: i repeat, any internal turmoil is a mortal threat to our statehood, to us as a nation. this is a blow to russia, to our people, so are actions to attack the fatherland against a threat will be severe. all those who deliberately chose the path trechy, armed mutiny, who will have blackmail methods

will face inevitable punishment. >> we're seeing more and more videos emerging right now, like this one, a russian military helicopter apparently avoiding fire from the ground. meanwhile, elsewhere, a different russian helicopter made a hard landing in the voronezh region. according to russian state media, one person was injured but it is not clear whether that military helicopter was one of those apparently involved in operations against wagner forces. we're following all of these developments on what's happening in russia, with our reporters and analysts. i want to begin with our chief international security correspondent nick paton walsh. he is tracking developments for us. nick, first of all, bring us up to speed, where things stand, and very dramatic, very historic, where things stand right now. >> we started this morning with wagner troops in rostov-on-don itself, a vital southern military city, unimaginable to not be under russian government

control, and key buildings, can with prigozhin it seems relaxed in there, as we head to the afternoon and early evening thou in moscow, there are reports suggesting that wagner forces are in the region of lipetsk, it is important to know the geography, there is a long highway that goes from the southern city of rostov-on-don, up towards the capital city moscow, which prig has been utterly clear is essentially where he wants to go. voronezh, you've seen the videos of the helicopter clashes from earlier on today, that is halfway. the next region, the indication here, is that wagner forces are moving very fast, and they may be 16, 17% up the road, 2 to 300 miles away from moscow. that is utter le startling and what is interesting to hear from the statement from the governor, while he says local police and law enforcement are keeping the population safe. it is not an indication of necessarily stopping wagner and apparently some of these most seasoned savaged fighters that russia has, seasoned from the front lines of bakhmut and other

parts of the more brutal violence we've seen over the winter in ukraine. and so these are people i think that russia's military will also gingerly approach, or not be too keen to con front. that's essentially vladimir putin's problem right now. this is unprecedented. he has never seen a threat to his rule like this before. and the mere fact his press person has said he's in the kremlin, he's been seen to be ringing allies, receiving calls from them, essentially reminding them that he's still there, in power, and that shows a man nervous, seeming to be angry in the speech you're seeing there, quite clearly making threats towards those who are part of this armed insurrection, saying this is blackmail, terroristic methods, not really giving much of a suggestion of a calm amnesty could follow if they gave over their leader to prigozhin. this is an existential battle really for the control of the kremlin. it seems yes, it could all suddenly calm down, but i will tell you one thing that is not going to go back, and that is the control vladimir putin had over russia earlier on this week.

i feel that's gone for good now. >> yes, it is a huge, huge embarrassment for putin. there's no doubt about that. nick paton walsh, stand by. we will get back to you. we are told by the way that the white house is very closely monitoring this emerging power struggle that's under way inside russia. cnn's priscilla alvarez is over at the white house for us, joining us right now. what are you hearing over there, priscilla? >> reporter: that's right, wolf. they are actively monitoring this unfolding situation. and we know as of yesterday evening that president biden had also been briefed on it. now, in a statement from a national security council spokesperson, we know that they said, quote, we are monitoring this situation and we will be consulting with allies and partners on these developments. now, officials here are being careful as to when they weigh in, of course, because this is rapidly evolving, but we should note, wolf, that as of early january, officials have been monitoring a power struggle between the mercenary wagner group and the russian government. and now, they believe that

tensions would mount, and we're seeing that play out now, but the fact that they have been gathering intention and assessing this power struggle indicates just how important it was for the white house to understand this, especially its ramifications, or ramifications it could have in the war in ukraine. now, of course, part of that statement, i mentioned, it includes discussions with allies and partners. only moments ago, we heard from state department, secretary of state antony blinken, has had a call with g-7 allies and eu counterparts, and in that call, the secretary making clear that the support for ukraine is unchanged, and will remain moving forward. but clearly, those conversations are happening behind the scenes, as u.s. officials try to gather exactly what is unfolding here, and what may proceed. we are waiting for any more comment from the white house, but as i mentioned, when that comes, it is still unclear, because they are too being cautious as they move forward. >> priscilla alvarez, once you

get those comments from the white house, we'll get back to you immediately. thank you very much. let's discuss all of this, and more, with cnn global affairs analyst kim dozier, cnn national security analyst, and cnn's chief national security correspondent jim sciutto. kim, let me start with you. at least one russian general has called this a coup. a coup. prigozhin says it's not a coup but a march for justice. his words. how serious is this challenge that's under way right now to putin's power in russia? >> wolf, perhaps it's not a serious challenge to the power, but it is a serious challenge to his reputation on the world stage. you mentioned just a couple of moments ago about this severe embarrassment putin is facing. he could control the message that is seen by his own people, and russians have been watching prigozhin, the wagner chief, decompensate for months, having all sorts of outbursts online.

but now, this direct challenge is something that is being seen in delhi, in beijing, latin america, africa, places that putin needed for diplomatic, military, and economic support, so he needs to show that his house, that he can get his house back in order. i think that any challenge that might have come, the kind of coup that the west had been hoping for, inhouse rivals, taking putin out, is less likely because for them, prigozhin is a wild card, someone that can't work with, someone who is a folk hero, who could challenge them, that doesn't change the fact that they could use prigozhin as some sort of fall guy. again, we're in wildcard territory. >> certainly are, beth, sources say the u.s. and other western officials were caught offguard by these new dramatic developments. were there signs that they might have missed?

>> well, i think that they've, you know, we, all of us, including -- talking the clashes between prigozhin and the military, and escalation of that. i think that, you know, predicting tipping points is really hard. you know, when is the fruit cellar in the tunisian market going to set himself on fire, that is hard to predict, when the russian military planes are going to bomb a camp of wagner fighters that sets him over the edge, that's hard to predict, so i can think that pretty much everyone, including probably wagner fighters were caught offguard, but i also -- i think we need to look, we're going to have to look back and really see if we did miss something or not. this looks very organized in a way, which makes me think that there were some preparations

under way. >> jim, we've all been watching the tensions between prigozhin and the russian military establishment ratchet up now for months. what is the end game for him? what are we talking about? is this simply the removal of sergei shoigu from the ministry of defense? is that all he wants? or does he want more? >> the fact is that western intelligence doesn't know the answer to that question. and as this began, as prigozhin targeting only defense ministry leadership, given that the russian president has now publicly called this an act of treason, prigozhin, whether he wanted to or not, is in direct confrontation with the russian president, and apparently sending his forces towards moscow. let me give you a sense of what the western intention view is of it at this moment. and they will acknowledge that they have limited understanding of everything, but ne are,

british intelligence is calling this an outright military confrontation in russia. in addition to that, what what they're watching closely for now is the reaction of regular russian military units to prigozhin. wagner operates somewhat independently. this is a private militia, in effect, but there's been evidence, some evidence, at least, that as his forces have moved through russia, that there's been at least a passive response from some regular russian military units, so the test going forward will be, is that widespread, or isolated, with particular attention i'm told towards how russia's national guard reacts to those forces as they attempt to move north. the other point i would make, wolf, is that rostov-on-don, which prigozhin's forces already appear to have taken over, is the key logistical hub and planning hub for russian military operations inside ukraine. so the effects on russia's campaign in ukraine are very

real going forward. it's a supply issue. it's a command issue. and so the repercussions here, certainly inside russia, but also inside russia's campaign in ukraine. >> let me follow up with you on that, jim. can putin really afford to allow someone to remain in command of this sizable force, the command that wagner now has, can putin allow that to remain in force? >> the view of western intelligence is no, it's such a direct and open challenge to his leadership, and this is putin who, listen, you have dissidents who speak out against putin, and they get poisoned, right? so an open military challenge to his leadership is something that the russian president is not likely to tolerate. and you have the prospect here, right, of putin then having to unleash his military forces still loyal to him against

targets inside russia, right? because you have, in effect, an armored column heading up the highway toward the russian capital here, so in addition to road blocks and so on, whatever he can throw up, and i know there's been some evidence of that, in and around the russian capital but also on the highway, heading north towards moscow, you have the prospect of russia firing on russia here, which is just remarkable. russian forces firing on russian forces, remarkable. >> it certainly is remarkable. i remember rostov-on-don is not very far away from moscow, and it looks like the wagner troops, of prigozhin, they're in control over there already. it appears, kim, that wagner's forces are in fact moving toward moscow with very little resistance from the active duty russian military, that has established control in these two major centers, we're talking about rostov-on-don and voronezh, is that a sign that prigozhin has more support than

was previously thought? >> i think it's a sign that these commanders think of prigozhin as the commanders of these bases, they worked alongside prigozhin in the field, they think of him as a strike force, but they also know he is a bit of an untested quantity. they don't want to pick a fight with him directly. but i think in the next 24 to 36 hours, to jim's point, putin cannot allow him to remain in power, because of the other elements of russian power that could move against putin in the interim and take advantage of this. so i think, you know, after dark, you're going to see possibly some sort of targeted special operations raid to specifically take prigozhin out. prigozhin hasn't been very careful about his communications. and the problem is, the longer they let this go on, the more they allow some of these military forces to hear of this,

and possibly back prigozhin up, and then his 25,000 force might swell to something that is more of a challenge. at the moment, as he tries to march directly, 500, 600 miles away from moscow, the moment he tries to march up that road, i think they're really going to, you're going to see russian on russian force power. >> you think the russians will use military air power to attack prigozhin's troops? >> look, if i were -- i wouldn't let them get within a few hundred miles of moscow, because we've seen the center of russian power is in the cities, and that's where things are decided, right now this is something that is happening in the hinterlands, we heard on this network, from other people who have walked around moscow today, it's quiet, it doesn't seem like people are really reacting to this, but if

prigozhin's troops are allowed to approach that city, which is the center of russian power, and people actually hear fighting of russian forces against russian forces, that puts us in a whole new ball game. i don't think putin can allow that. >> that puts us, you're absolutely right, and beth, is prigozhin potentially making a mistake by continuing to move through the country rather than simply stay and consolidate power where they currently have it? >> well, i think we're going to see whether that was a mistake or not. as kim laid out, i mean as you string along a column, along a major highway, just like we saw in ukraine, this put russia, its puts this convoy, it puts this convoy at risk of an errant attack, but, of an air attack, but that is a huge, huge move, that i think putin is worried about using. in his speech, he harkened back

to world war one, and the horrific nature of the civil war that erupted in 1917, and how many lives that took, and what that meant for the russian nation, and so putin is very, very worried about restarting that, but as kim says, you know, he cannot allow this to continue, and prigozhin is calling his bluff. the chechens are on the outskirts of rostov-on-don. we are going to start seeing some bloodshed. >> yeah, that's what is expected, widely expected right now, beth, how much, of all of this drama that is playing out, how much of it will ordinary russians be seeing and observing? because a lot of it is in fact playing out in plain view. >> yes, it is interesting to me that the russians have not shut prigozhin off of the telegram

channels, we continue to see him putting out messages. they haven't shut down the internet. they are perfectly capable of doing that. and at some point, they may do that. and again, each step that putin takes, he has to measure against if i do that, does that lead to panic? if i do this, does it actually lead to almost, you know, a path to civil war? and so the calibrations are quite complex. and putin has never had to make these sorts of decisions. it's quite a conundrum. >> and putin no doubt, no doubt remembers what exactly happened in august of 1991, when there was a failed kgb coup, a failed kgb coup, against gorbachev and yeltsin, but a few months later, in december of 1991, there was the collapse of the soviet union, which he says was the worst thing that ever happened

to russia indeed. we'll watch all of this unfold together with you. thank you very much. these are historic developments that we're watching right now. and we also just got in some new video showing what is happening in parts of russia right now. take a look at this. it is a burning fuel tank at an oil refinery in the city of voronezh. we do not yet know what caused this fire, but social media videos have shown at least one military helicopter in that area. we have video of the helicopter flying toward the refinery, there's an explosion, a fireball, and then thick black smoke rises from the area. we're working right now at cnn to get more information on that. we'll bring you more of it as we get it. and this just in to cnn right now, we're told the u.s. and western allies were in fact cause offguard by what's happening in russia right now. we'll discuss that, and the diplomatic implications of all of this, right after a short

break. our special coverage continues right after this. i brought in ensure max protein with 30g of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks. uh... here i'll take that. -everyone:oo hoo! ensure max protein with 30 ams of protein, one gram of sugar. enter the nourishing momen giveaway for a chance to win $10,000. he snores like an angry rhino. you've never heard an angry rhino. baby i hear one every night... every night. okay... i'll work on that. the queen sleep number 360 c2 smart bed is now only $899. plus, 48-month financing on all smart beds.

shop now only at sleep number works hard at hour one and twice as hard when you take it again the next day. so betty can be the... barcode beat conductor. ♪ go betty! ♪ let's be more than our allergies! zeize the day. with zyrtec. avoiding triggers but can't keep migraines away? qulipta® can help prevent migraines. you can't always prevent what's going on outside... that's why qulipta® helps what's going on inside. qulipta® gets right to work. in a 3-month study, qulipta® significantly reduced monthly migraine days and the majority of people reduced them by 50 to 100%. qulipta® blocks cgrp a protein believed to be a cause of migraines. qulipta® is a preventive treatment for episodic migraine. most common side effects are nausea, constipation, and tiredness. learn how abbvie could help you save on qulipta®. the subway series is taking your favorites to the next level. hold on, chuck! you can't beat the italian bmt. uh you can with double cheese and mvp vinaigrette. double cheese?!? yes and yes! man, you crazy.

try the refreshed favorites at subway today. hi, i'm norma, and i lost 53 pounds on golo. once i entered menopause, i did not like the fact that i had gained body fat around my waist. and i thought, "oh, no, that can't happen." i've never had that problem. after starting golo and taking release, i immediately saw an improvement in my waistline. with the golo plan, they don't restrict you. they teach you how to enjoy the foods you love in a healthy way. sticking to the golo plan and taking release actually worked.

(soft music) ♪ ♪ ♪ [typing] ♪ you were made to act spontaneously. we were made to help plan accordingly. ♪ at pnc bank, you can find us in big cities and small towns across the us, where our focus is to always support the people who live and work there. because you call these communities home, and we do too. pnc bank. you've evolved. you've changed. so have we. that's why new dove body wash now has 24-hour renewing micro moisture for continuous care. new dove body wash.

change is beautiful. we're following breaking news this hour, as russian president vladimir putin already embattled with what has become a punishing war in ukraine faces perhaps the boldest threat to his hold on power in russia in all his 20-plus years leading the country. and the threat actually comes from within russia. joining us now, nic robertson, here in london, with me, and natasha bertrand in washington, d.c. you have been doing excellent reporting, that the u.s. and nato allies were caught off guard by all of this. tell us what you're learning. >> obviously, the u.s. and its western allies, they have been monitoring for some time the ongoing and increasing tension between prigozhin and the russian ministry of defense but

it was really hard to tell whether that tension was actually going to result in something like this. as beth sanders said earlier this hour, it is really difficult for u.s. intelligence officials to predict that kind of tipping point. and so when all of this happened last night, it really did catch u.s. and western and european and other officials off guard, because of the speed with which it unfolded. we are told that u.s. officials did convene emergency meetings across the administration last night, to figure out exactly what was going on, and how to respond. but we're also told that they have been very careful here not to weigh in publicly, because they simply do not want to give russian president vladimir putin any fodder to be able to say that the u.s. and the west is interfering in any way, or of course, that they are actually fanning the flames of what they are calling an armed rebellion by prigozhin, and the wagner group. and now, it is unclear to u.s. and european officials just how far in advance prigozhin had been planning this attack. again, they did not see any overt signs that prigozhin was

planning to storm rostov and take the forces even further north to moscow. and one source familiar with the intelligence did say it appears it probably took at least several days of planning but another source noted to us that rostov is very close to the front lines where wagner was operating inside ukraine. so it may not have require much forethought. so these are the kinds of things that the u.s. and the west right now are trying to figure out and gather more intelligence on, wolf. >> they certainly are. working overtime i'm told right now, to get as much information as they possibly can. nic, we're learning that putin is at the same time calling his close allies to try to shore up support from them. what does that tell you about the position he's now in? >> he is in a weaker position, there is absolutely no doubt about that at all, he will be concerned that his loss categorically, even he can't deny, it and it appears until very recently trying to keep it to one side, lost the loyalty of

prigozhin. he is confronting him face on on, so now he needs to make sure, that the others, strong military leaders around him, the principal one, the chechen leader, that he has his loyalty and he got that very quickly, coming in and following behind putin, calling what prigozhin was doing treason. he has called, putin has spoken with leaders that have been put in place in the break-away regions inside ukraine, they of course have folded in behind putin. interestingly, one of them, though, in the donetsk region, the russian-backed leader there, says it is a difficult situation because prigozhin and in his fights there has done actually the impossible, that's high praise, yet he also came out and said he supports putin. putin's called neighboring countries as well. i think, you know, if you look historically, when the soviet union was going down, those neighboring states said that

they were behind the soviet leadership, but when the reality push came to shove and the soviet union collapsed, because they were ready to break away, so i think we can't take everything that we hear at face value. but prigozhin is tactically smart. he has a narrative that resonates with the troops, that r resonates with some of the population, he appears to be holed up. he has sent a small mobile force north toward moscow, and it will be a win for him, if russian forces go out and kill other russians in the full sight of the media in russia. that's prigozhin's strength, to play up his hand as much as he can, while he can, and media, on social media channels, while putin controls the main narrative on the main principle russian state channels. >> good point. nick robertson, natasha bertrand, thank you very much. coming up, we will have more on the leader of the wagner group and how he became such a powerful force inside russia.

i need it cool at night. you trying to ice me out of the bed? baby, only on game nights. you know you are retired right? am i? ya! the queen sleep number 360 c2 smart bed is now only $89999. plus, 48-month financicing on all smart beds. shop now only at sleep number with the freestyle know your glucose level and where it's headed without fingersticks. manage your diabetes with more confidence and lower your a1c. it's covered by medicare for those who qualify. ask your doctor about the freestyle libre 2 system. if we want a more viable future for our kids, we need to find more sustainable ways of doing things. america's plastic makers are investing billions of dollars in new technologies and creating plastic products that are more recyclable.

durable. and dependable. our goal is a cleaner, healthier planet for generations to come. for a better tomorrow, we're focused on making plastics better today. imagine you're doing something you love. rsv could cut it short. ♪ rsv is a contagious virus that usually causes mild symptoms but can cause more severe infections that may lead to hospitalizations... ...in adults 60 and older... ...and adults with certain underlying conditions, like copd, asthma, or congestive heart failure. talk to your doctor and visit cutshortrsv.com. okay everyone, our mission is complete balanced nutrition. together we provide nutrients to support immune, muscle, bone, and heart health. everyone: woo hoo! ensure with 25 vitamins and minerals. enter the $10,000 nourishing moments giveaway.

what if we live to 100. i don't want to outlive our money. i keep eating all these chia seeds. i could live to be 100. we work with empower, even if we do live to 100 we don't have to worry. eh, not worried. take control of your financial future to empower what's next. so, you've got the power of xfinity at home. now take it outside with xfinity mobile. like speed? it's the fastest mobile service around. with the best price for two lines of unlimited. only $30 bucks a line per month.

that's hundreds in savings a year when you wave bye to the other guys. save hundreds a year on your wireless bill over t-mobile, at&t and verizon. and right now, get up to $1000 off select samsung phones. switch today.

welcome back to our special coverage of the truly historic political and military uncertainty that's developing right now inside russia. the wagner mercenary chief yevgeny prigozhin saying his group took control of military headquarters in rostov in his words without firing a shot but russian state media reports several gushes and an explosion were heard outside that complex. prigozhin has been a close ally of the kremlin, putin, and putin for that matter, for several years, and is a key player in russia's war against ukraine, but now he is demanding a meeting with russia's defense minister and top general. cnn's senior international correspondent fred pleitgen is joining us right now.

fred, first of all, give us a better sense of who this prigozhin really is. >> reporter: certainly, wolf, he is one of the most powerful figures in russia. and obviously, grasping forbe even more right now, but certainly didn't start out that way. wes in jail for several years, in the 1980s in the soviet union and then started out selling hot dogs, in the saint petersburg area, and then became known as putin's chef, and that's where his career really took a meet rick rise, and now he is obviously someone who is not only defying putin but also challenging the ministry of defense. here is what he know about yevgeny prigozhin. he's long been a well-known mercenary leader around the world. now, yevgeny prigozhin is a wanted man in russia as well. he's often, his often merciless group of fighters is pitted against the russian military leadership and prigozhin is suddenly moscow's public enemy number one. vladimir putin calling for

prigozhin's group to lay down their arms. >> translator: all those who deliberately chose the path of treachery, who prepared an armed mute nye, blackmail and terrorist methods will face inevitable punishment and will answer to the law and to our people. >> reporter: he may now be something of a nemesis to vladimir putin but the decades long relationship with the russian president that allowed prigozhin to establish his own militia, the wagner group. wagner served as a private army doing controversial jobs that often not even russia's military could do. prigozhin, a former prisoner himself, and self-styled hard man, from saint petersburg, used wagner to operate around the world. cnn has tracked wagner mercenaries to the central african republic, sudan, mozambique, and syria. and along the way, rights groups have accused wagner of horrific violence, like this, wagner fighters allegedly smashing the

feet and hands of a syrian prisoner, with a sledgehammer in 2017. the man reportedly died after his or deal. the images are incredibly disturbing like so many others attributed to his group. for many years, prigozhin denied the existence of wagner, its work best done in secret. a master of mist making, it was wagner and prigozhin, with the control farm spreading disinformation around the 2016 u.s. presidential election. when the fighters took to the battlefield in eastern ukraine, and began winning battles, prigozhin seemed to want the spotlight. >> the bakhmut operation began on october 8, 2022, in order to give the battered russian army an opportunity to recover. our guys stormed the city for 224 days. there were only wagner private forces here. >> reporter: his tactics included flinging poorly armed

and poorly trained troops into the so-called meat grinder of war in ukraine's east, with a shocking number of casualties in an attempt to overwhelm defenses. prigozhin rubbed his victories in the face of russia's flailing defense department over the haphazard and illegal russian invasion and chastising russian top brass, mocking the defense minister shoigu. >> you think rut masters of this life? you think you can dispose of their lives? you think because you have warehouses full of ammunition, that you have that right? >> reporter: now, the kremlin's secret weapon may be its biggest threat. and that's exactly what seems to be the case, wolf, as that convoy of prigozhin's men seems to be moving closer to moscow, going after the defense minister shoigu and the chief of staff.

wolf? >> fred pleitgen in berlin, thank you very much. joining us now, cnn military analyst, the former nato supreme allied commander, retired general wesley clark. general, thank you very much for joining us. as you well know, prigozhin is demanding a meeting with russia's defense minister and a top russian general. he is pledging to move to moscow, if that meeting doesn't happen. do you expect all of this, and this is great uncertainty right now, but do you expect it to escalate this tension? >> i think it will escalate, unless russian forces were able to crush these columns moving to moscow. what prigozhin has got to do, if he is going to succeed, is take control of the media. he's got to get his message out more widely. he is coming out on his instagram channel and we're picking it up in the west, but are the russian people getting it? usually, for a coup to work like this, you've got have control of the television and the radio. to do that, you probably got to get to moscow. calling for a meeting with the

minister of defense shoigu, that's a sly way of trying to get at putin without directly attacking putin. but he's attacked all of the things putin has said. he said the war is illegal. he said that basically that all russians are doing is killing the russian-speaking ukrainians that are supposedly they're there to protect. he said there was no threat. he's undercut the complete rationale of the war. and so this is a much, much broader, than simply requesting a meeting with shoigu. that's just the ploy here. now, can he get to moscow? don't know. that depends on what inroads he's made in other russian intelligence groups, and in russian military groups. so the next 24, 48 hours, are critical. if he moves, if he gets to moscow, if units begin to defect to prigozhin, then we'll know how serious this really is.

if the column is stopped, russian forces will move back toward rostov, there will be some discombobulation, no doubt, in the russian defenses, in ukraine, maybe there will be some russian reserves pulled out of ukraine to go after rostov and prigozhin, but they will seal it off. so we've got to keep our eye on what's going on in moscow, or toward moscow. >> if that meeting is granted, the one that prigozhin wants with the russian defense ministry and the top russian general, and we've noted this, what do you think will come from a meeting like that? >> i think it would, they would try to arrest them and put them on trial in front of the russian people, accusing them publicly of the failures and all of the mistakes they've made. >> the apparent mutiny unraveled after a wagner camp was hit by an alleged air strike. the russian military has denied

any involvement, but then that happened friday afternoon. and then they took over the military headquarters in rostov-on-don, just a few hours later. that's a pretty quick turn-around. do you think this has been planned for sometime? >> i think it's unclear exactly what happened. so it may have been planned. it may have been that the russian military struck pre-emptively to try to stop pre prigozhin's move. maybe they knew about it. on the other hand, maybe it was that there wasn't a strike on prigozhin. this could all be a pretext. or he could have done some of it himself. we don't know at this stage. at least we don't know publicly. i'm sure our sources know exactly what is happening, but what i don't think anybody can determine is the likelihood of defection. whether where that prigozhin is saying, what he's doing, the movement toward moscow, is going

to bring other forces in on his side, or whether putin's chain of command, shoigu's chain of command really will rally and crush the forces moving toward moscow. >> very quickly, general clark, because we are almost out of time, but you're the former nato supreme allied commander, what should u.s. and nato allies be looking for right now? how does this affect them? >> well, the concern would be that there would be some opportunity, some need on putin's part, to raise the stakes, to get the russian people more involved on his side, by claiming some nato provocation, by raising the nuclear war posture, by going into some country like latvia, to say that there's been a threat from latvia, to try to rally russia to his side. so we got to be very alert to that. >> very careful indeed. the stakes right now are enormous. retired general wesley clark, thank you very much for joining us. coming up, world leaders are

reacting to the unfolding, very dramatic situation happening inside russia right now. as ukraine calls on its allies to help end what its t-calls russian president slalz vladimir putin's evil regime. much more of the special coverage after this. or the one uptown? we went downtown. could we be fabulous? or fantabulous? apartments.com the place toto find a place. at pnc bank, you can find us in big cities and small towns across the us, where our focus is to always support the people who live and work the. beuse you call these communities home, and we do too. pnc bank. ♪ ♪ a bunch odead guys made up work, way back when. ♪ ♪ it's our turn now we'll make it up again. ♪ ♪ we'll build freelance teams with more agility. ♪ ♪ the old way of working is deader than me. ♪ ♪ we'll scale up, and we'll scale down ♪

♪ before you're six feet underground. ♪ ♪ yes, this is how, this is how we work now. ♪ i brought in ensure max protein with 30g of protein. those who tried me felt more energy in just two weeks. uh... here i'll take that. -everyone: woo hoo! ensure max protein with 30 grams of protein, one gram of sugar. enter the nourishing moments giveaway for a chance to win $10,000. ♪ if there's pain when you try to poo ♪ ♪ and going sometimes feels like you ♪ ♪ pushed through a pineapple or two ♪ ♪ colace is the brand you need ♪ ♪ to soften stools, we're all agreed ♪ ♪ #2 should be easy to do ♪ trust colace to soften stools with no stimulants for comfortable relief. ♪ tourists tourists that turn into scientists. tourists photographing thousands of miles of remote coral reefs. that can be analyzed by ai in real time. ♪ so researchers can identify which areas are at risk.

and help life underwater flourish. ♪

not that into saving, are you? -whoa, dude... -money. cuz... cuz you paid too much for those glasses. next time, go to america's best where two pairs and a free, quality eye exam start at just $79.95. book an exam today at americasbest.com. ♪ ♪ "the pursuit of gold" by alex ball ♪ ( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) ( ♪ )

( ♪ ) ( ♪ ) the l'or barista coffee and espresso system. a masterpiece in taste. this morning, leaders from around the world are reacting to the escalating situation in russia, after the head of the wagner private military group launched what the russian president vladimir putin is calling an armed uprising. cnn's chief international security correspondent nick paton walsh is joining us right now. the wagner group has threatened to go directly into moscow. how do you see this playing out right now? what is your sense? >> reporter: i mean the question really, wolf, is the pace at which this apparent group of wagner fighters makes toward the capital. now hour by hour, in an extraordinary day, where they

began remarkably seizing the key southern town of rostov-on-don, we've seen their progress up the main highway, the m-4, through voronezh, about halfway up there, the governor now saying that there have been combat measures taken by the russian military. you're seeing now explosions from what looked like to be helicopter-based clashes over that particular city. a projection till landed there. state media showing glass has been blown out and an mi-8 attack helicopter made a hard landing in that particular area. then we have the next region, lupetsk, the governor saying the wagners are move, wagner vehicles are moving through the region. and mperhaps a sign of continue progress. >> nick paton walsh, thank you very much. we will have much more on how this unfolding, very important

dramatic situation inside russia could affect the war in ukraine. we're getting new information and that will be straight ahead. buy one footlong, get one 50% off in the subway app today. now that's a deal worth celebrating. man, whahat are you doing?! get it before it's gone on the subway app.p. ♪

my name is shannon knight, and i own little knights daycare. carolina sports incorporated. a paradise for parents. lomita feed, current caretaker and owner. we did not know anything about the employee retention credit. that is a legitimate tax credit. so innovation refunds has really helped guide me through the process. just had to get a few of my records together, submit that, and they made it as painless as possible. i can't thank innovation refunds enough for what they did. wake up, achievers. you're making the most of every hour of your life. except the hours that you're sleeping. so why do we leave so much untapped potential on the table?

this is a next level bed, for a next level you. my circadian rhythm is kicking your circadian rhythms butt! it's not a competition. i know, but i'm still winning! so, it is a competition. the queen sleep number 360 c2 smart bed is now only $899. plus, 48-month financing on all smart beds. shop now only at sleep number from big cities, to small towns, and on main streets across the us, you'll find pnc bank. helping businesses both large and small, communities and the people who live and work there grow and thrive. we're proud to call these places home too. they're where we put down roots, and where together, we work to help move everyone's financial goals forward. pnc bank. ♪ hit it ♪ ♪ it takes two to make a thing go right ♪ ♪ it takes two to make it outta sight ♪ ♪ one, two, get loose now ♪ ♪ it takes two to make a... ♪ stay two nights and get a $ 50 best western gift card.

book now at bestwestern.com.

this morning, ukraine is calling on its allies to help end what it calls russian president vladimir putin's evil regime. the ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy says russia's weakness has been exposed in light of the insurrection of wagner chief prigozhin. ben wedeman is joining us life from the war zone in zaporizhzhia in ukraine right now. so first of all, ben, how is all of this likely to affect the war

in ukraine? >> reporter: well, that's the big question everyone is asking here, is that what is ukraine going to do to sort of react to what appears to be the russian military establishment writ large, starting to fight among itself. now, as far as the situation on the front goes, we were down in one area, where we saw, in the southern part of the country, where we saw a lot of equipment, a lot of men, clearly poised to go into action, but nothing yet. we've been in contact with ukrainian troops in the bakhmut area, where previously, of course, the wagner group had actually been key in taking that city. they tell us russian lines are still holding. but clearly, this is a moment when ukraine should be prepared to move, given that their enemy seems to be in such disarray. wolf? >> very serious disarray indeed.

ben wedeman, thank you very much. we'll get back to you soon. we continue to follow all of these historic developments out of russia right now. our special live coverage continues, cnn is learning by the way that the u.s. and western allies were in fact caught offguard by the escalation between putin and the wagner group. we're getting reaction from around the world, much more on that, coming up right at the top of the hour. we'll be back in a few minutes right after a short break.

okay everyone, our mission is complete balanced nutrition. together we provide nutrients to support immune, muscle, bone, and heart health. everyone: woo hoo! ensure with 25 vitamins and minerals. enter the $10,000 nourishing moments giveaway. if we want a more viable future for our kids, we need to find more sustainable ways of doing things. america's plastic makers are investing billions of dollars in new technologies and creating plastic products that are more recyclable. durable. and dependable. our goal is a cleaner, healthier planet for generations to come. for a better tomorrow, we're focused on making plastics better today. a third kid. what if she likes playing golf? it's expensive. we're outlawing golf. wait. can i still play? since we work with emower, we don't have to worry about planning for a third kid. you can still play golf... sometimes. take control of your financial future

to empower what's next. if your moderate to severe crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms are stopping you in your tracks... choose stelara® from the start... and move toward relief after the first dose... with injections every two months. stelara® may increase your risk of infections, some serious, and cancer. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, sores, new skin growths, have had cancer, or if you need a vaccine. pres, a rare, potentially fatal brain condition, may be possible. some serious allergic reactions and lung inflammation can occur. feel unstoppable. ask your doctor how lasting remission can start with stelara®. janssen can help you explore cost support options.

ahhh! icy hot pro starts working instantly. with two max-strength pain relievers, so you can rise from pain like a pro. icy hot pro.