ROSTOV-ON-DON, June 24. /TASS/. Local residents in Rostov-on-Don who have gathered near the headquarters of the Southern Military District show no signs of panic and are waiting for the situation to be resolved and for the city to return to normal life, a TASS correspondent reports from the scene.

Many servicemen in uniform and military equipment remain near the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Road traffic is blocked but pedestrians can move about the streets near the building unhampered.

Curious onlookers are waiting for events to unfold and for life in the city to get back to normal. There are no signs of panic. Many have been eying military vehicles with obvious interest and taking photos and shooting videos with their mobiles.

Men in military uniform are impeccably polite to civilians and from time to time ask them to vacate the roads and move back into nearby streets away from the military headquarters. No active action has been taken. None of the few sporadic scuffles that occurred in the crowd have developed into serious incidents, a TASS correspondent reports.

Men in military uniform have been also deployed along the Budyonovsky Avenue all the way to the central market. All businesses, cafes and stores are closed in areas cordoned off by military personnel, but those in other parts of the city they stay open.

About the situation

The public relations center of the Federal Security Service (FSB) said last night that all rumors on social media being posted on behalf of Yevgeny Prigozhin about the Russian Defense Ministry’s alleged missile and bombing strikes on the "rear units of the PMC Wagner" had nothing to do with reality and were an information provocation. The Defense Ministry issued a similar statement. Prigozhin claimed that a PMC Wagner convoy had been moving towards Rostov-on-Don. The investigation department of the FSB opened a criminal case against Prigozhin under Article 279 of the Criminal Code (organization of armed rebellion).

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an address to the nation that all those responsible for the attempted mutiny would face unavoidable punishment, brought to justice and made answerable to the people. He noted that the situation in Rostov-on-Don remained difficult, but resolute steps would be taken to stabilize it.