UPDATE! Prigozhin and Putin

Yevgeny Prigozhin said that the Russian Defense Ministry launched a missile attack on the rear camps of Wagner PMCs. According to him, “a huge number of fighters” died as a result. After that, Prigozhin actually announced the beginning of an armed rebellion against the leadership of the Russian army, called Sergei Shoigu a “creature” and called for “justice to be restored in Russia.”

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11:29
Vladimir Putin phoned Alexander Lukashenko

The Pul Pervogo telegram channel says that the Russian president called Lukashenka. “Vladimir Putin informed his Belarusian counterpart about the situation in Russia,” the statement said.

11:26
Voronezh governor Alexander Gusev denies Wagner PMC is moving in the region

“A lot of unreliable information is now being published on social networks about the alleged movement of columns of military equipment through the territory of the Voronezh region. The legislation of the Russian Federation provides for liability for the dissemination of such messages. Roskomnadzor and the regional prosecutor’s office will respond to all cases. I am sure that Voronezh residents will not succumb to informational provocations by those who are interested in destabilizing the situation in the country and the region,” he said .

Earlier, Reuters and the BBC, citing sources, reported that the Wagner PMC controls military facilities in the Voronezh region. It is not yet possible to confirm the information with certainty.

11:22
State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin called on Wagner PMC fighters to follow Putin’s orders and “be with your people”

“The problems and troubles of the country have always occurred only because of betrayal, internal split and betrayal of the elites. Deputies of the State Duma, representing the interests of the citizens of the Russian Federation, advocate the consolidation of forces, support President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, our Supreme Commander-in-Chief,” he wrote .

“Wagner soldiers must make the only right choice: to be with their people, on the side of the law, to protect the security and future of the Motherland, to follow the orders of the Supreme Commander. Anything else is a betrayal!” Volodin said in a message on his Telegram channel.

11:13
British intelligence called Prigozhin’s actions the most serious challenge to the Russian state in recent times.

“In the coming hours, the loyalty of the Russian security forces will be of key importance in the development of the crisis,” they noted .

10:57
Mass events have been canceled in the Kaliningrad, Tver and Tula regions. In Moscow, school graduations and a citywide graduation in Gorky Park were postponed for a week.

10:17
A source of the BBC Russian Service, close to the central office of the FSB, confirmed that all the key facilities in Voronezh were managed by PMC Wagner “to take control, everything is like in Rostov.” According to him, the FSB does not have a plan to suppress the rebellion.

Earlier , Reuters reported that administrative buildings in Voronezh were taken under control .

10:08
The speech was short. During it, Putin never mentioned Yevgeny Prigozhin.


10:04
Putin is addressing the Russians. He called Prigogine’s “mutiny” treason and betrayal.

09:59
A telegram channel linked to the Ministry of Defense confirmed the information about downed Russian helicopters. Mediazona drew attention to this .

A telegram channel, whose author is linked by Ukrainian investigators to the Russian military space forces in Voronezh, published a post today:

“In general, this is the alignment for helicopters. Shot down two Mi-8mtpr. EW helicopters. They flew as a couple. Crews are alive. The Mi-35 was also shot down. Whether he worked on the column, I do not know. The crew is alive. Due to the fact that the Wagner convoy travels along the M4 highway interspersed with civilian vehicles, helicopters obviously cannot work. The track is now closed. Cars are being removed.”

09:47
Traffic on the M-4 highway in the Voronezh region is closed from 464 to 777 km, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the authorities.

09:29
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin:

“An anti-terrorist operation regime has been introduced in Moscow. In this regard, previously announced mass events were canceled in the city. All city services work in full, movement around the city is not difficult. Thanks to Muscovites and guests of the city for their understanding and calm attitude to what is happening.”

09:18
“What is happening now can hardly be called anything other than a military mutiny”

Kholod spoke with independent military expert Kirill Mikhailov about Prigozhin’s armed protest against the Russian Defense Ministry.

– What’s happening?

– From the last thing we saw – a video that was published in pro-Wagner Telegram channels. It shows Yevgeny Prigozhin and several fighters, apparently Wagner PMCs with white and silver armbands, are in the courtyard, apparently, of the building of the headquarters of the Southern Military District, which is located in the city of Rostov-on-Don. The headquarters of the entire so-called “special military operation” is also located there.

In the video, Prigozhin talks with General Alekseev (who had previously contacted the Wagner PMC) and with Deputy Defense Minister Yevkurov. Prigozhin says that they need Shoigu and Gerasimov, otherwise the “Wagnerites” will blockade Rostov and advance on Moscow.

So far, it is only clear that there really is some part of the “Wagnerites” in Rostov. I wouldn’t say they took over the city. To capture the city, you need to occupy all the administrative buildings and set up roadblocks around, but so far we have not seen such proofs. Most likely, in the city there are both the forces of the “Wagnerites” and, relatively speaking, the forces of the Ministry of Defense.

Among the equipment that moved in the Rostov region, one could notice the Chekan armored car based on the Ural, which is typical for the Wagner PMC and is not used by any other formations.

It is clear that the video [with the alleged shelling of the rear camp of PMCs] is fake, made in haste. According to some reports, members of the same PMC were not aware of the situation, they write about this on the pro-Russian forum Lostarmour.

It can be assumed that Prigozhin’s actions were dictated by some kind of threat against him or against the PMC as a whole, which could be caused by the refusal to sign a contract with the RF Ministry of Defense.

It is really difficult to call what is happening now other than a military mutiny. And, of course, this can greatly affect the course of hostilities as a whole, because it can disrupt the work of the headquarters of the entire so-called NWO. Not to mention the logistical problems that could spark fighting in areas bordering Ukraine.

– How can the “capture” of the headquarters by the “Wagnerites” affect the actions of the Russian army?

– Prigozhin declares that they do not interfere in the work of the headquarters of the Southern Military District. However, the level of stress of staff officers must certainly affect the manageability of the entire operation. General coordination of actions, coordination of reserves may be complicated, part of the reserves may be required for a possible “cleansing” of Rostov from the “Wagnerites”.

— Are Prigozhin’s threats to “go to Moscow” real? How dangerous is his rebellion for the Kremlin, for the Ministry of Defense?

– In order to understand whether Prigozhin will go to Moscow or not, you need to know how many “Wagnerites” really support his actions and actively participate in them.

But in general, of course, this deals a serious blow to the reputation of Putin and the Russian Ministry of Defense. From the outside, it looks like you can just take and capture Rostov in one day. In addition, this affects the opinion of Western countries about the degree of stability of the Russian regime as a whole and about the degree of Russia’s readiness to continue the war.

If instability of this level is growing in Russia, this, of course, indicates that the strategy of the West is working. Therefore, they will continue to actively support Ukraine. Putin believes that he can “sit out” until some problems begin in the West. But so far it is clear that Russia has problems. And this should reinforce the Western view that Ukraine needs to be supported for as long as it takes.

What is going on at the front meanwhile?

– There is no critical situation at the front now. The Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Rabotino area of the Zaporozhye region have reached the line of long-term defensive fortifications. But this does not mean that the Russian defense has been breached or will soon be breached. The offensive is developing at the same pace with significant losses for both sides and the slow advance of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. There was no critical situation at the front for the Russians, at least outwardly. Perhaps the troops are already exhausted enough to run, but according to open data, we do not see this.

09:09
The Russian Defense Ministry appeals to PMC Wagner.


09:04
The National Anti-Terrorist Committee has introduced a regime of counter-terrorist operation in Moscow. Also, the CTO regime was introduced in the Moscow region and the Voronezh region.

READ MORE

What will happen if a counter-terrorist operation is announced in Russia
The security forces will be able to enter directly into houses, turn off communications – and that’s not all
08:25
In the Voronezh region, following the Rostov region, all mass events were also canceled . Local authorities at the same time call the situation in the region “stable”.

07:56
Prigozhin’s press service posted a video in which he says that all military facilities in Rostov-on-Don are under the control of the Wagner PMC. Here is the full transcript of this entry:

“We are at headquarters. 7 hours 30 minutes in the morning. Under the control of military facilities in Rostov, including the airfield. Aircraft that leave for combat work leave regularly. There are no problems. Sanitary boards leave – there are no problems.

We took control so that attack aircraft would not strike at us, but at the Ukrainians.

The main control center is operating normally, there are no problems, not a single officer is torn off. Therefore, when they tell you that the Wagner PMC interfered with the work and therefore something fell down at the front, that’s not why it fell down at the front.

When we came here, we confirmed a lot of new things. A huge amount of territory has been lost, the number of soldiers killed is three to four times more than it is in the documents that go upstairs. And what is served is 10 times less than what is said on TV. Sanitary losses per day amount to up to a thousand people on some days – these are killed, missing, wounded and the so-called “refuseniks” who refuse not because they are scared, but because they have no way out. No ammunition, no controls. The Chief of the General Staff fled from here as soon as he found out that we were approaching the building.”

07:36
In telegram channels close to PMC Wagner and pro-military telegram channels, a video is being circulated of how military PMCs and Yevgeny Prigozhin enter the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don and negotiate with Deputy Defense Ministry Yevkurov.


07:18
All events scheduled in Rostov-on-Don for the weekend have been canceled, Governor Vasily Golubev said .

More than two hours ago, there were messages, photographs and videos of the military and military equipment in the city, including at the headquarters of the Southern Military District. The governor twice asked local residents to stay at home. However, he did not say what kind of military took up positions in Rostov-on-Don. Other representatives of local and federal authorities did not do this either. Evgeny Prigozhin, answering a question about the situation in Rostov-on-Don, also did not clarify the situation, but said that his fighters had come “a little way” so far.

The founder of CIT, Ruslan Leviev , believes that not the mercenaries of the PMC Wagner, but the military of the Ministry of Defense are located in the city.

07:04
Security measures are also being tightened in the Moscow region, Governor Andrey Vorobyov said : “The situation is being controlled by law enforcement agencies and the FSB, anti-terrorist measures are underway. Additional checks are possible on the roads to the south.”

06:07
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin:

“In connection with the incoming information, anti-terrorist measures are being taken in Moscow aimed at strengthening security measures. Additional control on the roads has been introduced. It is possible to limit the holding of public events. I ask you to treat the measures taken with understanding.”

05:55
The Governor of the Rostov Region, Vasily Golubev, asked local residents to refrain from traveling to the center of Rostov-on-Don and, if possible, not to leave their homes.

05:47
Politician Mikhail Khodorkovsky called for “helping people hear Prigozhin while he is telling the truth.”

“And if he goes to Moscow, to prevent him from stopping – to help with gasoline and diesel fuel, to convince those who will be sent to stop him that we now have a common enemy. Convince by word and deed! he wrote.

“Kremlin thieves even got sick of bandits… And the most important thing was Prigozhin’s speech, where he repeated word for word what we, the anti-war opposition, have been saying since the beginning of the war: the purpose of the war is theft, the official reason for the war (NATO’s preparation for an attack on Russia ) – bullshit, in which no one believes. The army was ruined by the hands of the near-Putin thieves, it cannot defeat Ukraine (fortunately). The real enemy is not in Kyiv, but in Moscow.”

05:32
The Rostov edition of 161.ru writes that, judging by the photos and videos from readers, “unidentified people in camouflage” cordoned off the headquarters of the Southern Military District, the police department on Budyonnovsky Prospekt, the local Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Security Service, as well as the administration of Rostov.

Authorities have not yet commented on these reports. Earlier, videos appeared on the network showing the military and columns of military equipment in Rostov-on-Don.

05:25
New message on Prigozhin’s telegram channel about another downed helicopter:

“On the Moscow highway, one of the assault detachments came under fire from the turntables. In the subdivisions of PMC Wagner, everyone is intact, the “turntable” is destroyed, it burns in the forest belt. I warn everyone again: we will perceive it as a threat and destroy everything around. They cannot destroy us, we have goals, we are all ready to die. All 25 thousand, and after that – another 25 thousand. Because we are dying for our country. We are dying for the Russian people, who must be freed from those people who are beating the civilian population, which they just hit in Rostov from helicopters. One pilot, belonging to the FSB, refused to take off and strike.

There is no confirmation of the downed helicopters yet.

05:14
Government of the Voronezh Region:

A column of military equipment is moving along the Federal Highway M-4 Don. We ask all residents of the Voronezh region to temporarily not use the federal highway M-4 Don and individual vehicles. The situation is under control. The power structures of the region are taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the inhabitants of the region.

05:10
Tanks arrived at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don. The video is published by 161.ru. It also shows the military.


03:59
Governor of the Rostov Region Vasily Golubev :

“The current situation requires the maximum concentration of all forces to maintain order. Law enforcement agencies are doing everything necessary to ensure the safety of residents of the area. I ask everyone to remain calm and do not leave the house unless necessary.

03:48
“The helicopter had just opened fire on a civilian convoy and was shot down by Wagner PMC crews,” says Prigozhin.

There are no photographs or videos of the events he describes, no evidence either.

03:29
Another audio from Prigogine. He speaks of some “air strikes” of which he accuses the General Staff.

“The Chief of the General Staff does not calm down. The mistake of any African dictator is to launch air strikes on residential areas. Right now there are two aircraft in the air, numbered 523 and 546, who are trying to make these strikes. Remember, guys, your homeland will not forgive strikes on its territory. We must show courage and strike at the territory of the enemy when our infantry moves. Therefore, conjectures that say that we are preventing someone from fighting at the front now are conjectures. We don’t bother anyone. We prevent the criminals who destroyed about a hundred thousand Russian soldiers from saving their ass.”

02:42
Vkontakte began blocking publications with statements by Yevgeny Prigozhin. Sota drew attention to this .

Judging by the published screenshot, the administration of the social network refers to the relevant requirement of the Prosecutor General’s Office of June 23.

02:37
Yevgeny Prigozhin claims that the head of the General Staff gave the order to shoot at “Wagner PMC columns”

In his new audio message, he stated that Valery Gerasimov allegedly ordered to open fire on the columns of fighters who “are walking among civilian cars, among trucks.” “He doesn’t care who he kills. They have been killing their civilians for a year and a half instead of fighting the enemy,” Prigozhin said.

He also thanked the pilots who allegedly refused to “follow criminal commands.”

02:36
Dmitry Peskov:

“Special services, law enforcement agencies, namely the Ministry of Defense, the FSB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Russian Guard, in the round-the-clock mode, constantly report to the President on the measures taken in the context of the fulfillment of instructions previously given to them.”

02:29
US officials are closely monitoring the situation in Russia.

“We are monitoring the situation and will be consulting with allies and partners regarding these developments,” White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said, quoted by CNN.

One of the publication’s interlocutors said that in the United States, Prigozhin’s latest comments are viewed as “something more than his usual rhetoric.” He suggested that the statements of PMC founder Wagner could follow the Ukrainian military breakthrough or their tactical success.

Two more officials of the American presidential administration said that the White House is being careful not to interfere in what is happening.

02:22
Prosecutor General Krasnov reported to Putin about the criminal case in connection with an attempt to organize an armed rebellion, Peskov said .

02:12
“Now we are entering Rostov”: Yevgeny Prigozhin released a new statement.

The founder of PMC Wagner claims that his fighters have crossed state borders in all places. He claims that the border guards went out to meet them and “embraced the fighters.”

“The conscripts, who were thrown to block our road, stepped aside. We don’t fight children, we don’t kill children. Children are killed by Shoigu, throwing untrained soldiers, including conscripts, into the war. He put 18-year-old boys against us, they are good for us as children and grandchildren. So these guys will live and go back to their mothers. We fight only with professionals. But if someone gets in the way, we will destroy everything,” Prigozhin said.

01:59
The authorities of the Krasnodar Territory called the situation in the region calm and accused the Ukrainian special services of spreading fake news.

The local operational headquarters said that no additional security measures were introduced there, and that the situation was “under full control.”

“Law enforcement and law enforcement agencies, operational services of cities and regions of the Krasnodar Territory did not introduce additional security measures. The situation in the region is calm and under full control. Currently, numerous facts of the spread of fakes from the CIPSO of Ukraine on social networks are being recorded. Unverified and provocative messages are published on social networks and instant messengers,” the headquarters said in a statement.

Meanwhile, TASS, citing its correspondent , reports that at the exit from Rostov-on-Don towards the city of Aksai, the movement of cars along the M-4 Don highway is blocked.

01:45

01:42
An emergency newscast was released on Channel One. Presenter Ekaterina Andreeva called the video of the attack on the Wagner PMC a fake: “Obviously, it was staged, there is no other video evidence. Statements on behalf of Prigozhin were distributed in the format of voice audio messages. Telegram channel “Rybar” recorded the metadata of audio messages. All of them were recorded at the same time and published in delayed mode.

The Ministry of Defense denied all the information, the presenter repeated several times, also referring to the statement of the UK. Andreeva added that Vladimir Putin was informed about the incident, but did not say anything directly about Yevgeny Prigozhin’s statements.

01:30
Special forces flew to Rostov-on-Don. This was reported to The Moscow Times by an unnamed government official. According to him, we are talking about dozens of boards.

At the same time, 161.ru reported that several entrances to the city from the northern and western sides were blocked. There were traffic jams. Journalists, citing eyewitnesses, write that some cars are being searched.

161.ru adds that the law enforcement agencies in Rostov received an order to take the headquarters of the Southern Military District under special protection.

01:18
Russian ISPs have probably started blocking news on Google.

According to Important Stories, only 25% of users now have access to the resource. The connection does not work with clients of MTS, Beeline and Rostelecom. At the same time, the resource is being opened for Nevalink and Tele2 users.

01:17
Ministry of Defense of Russia:

“Taking advantage of Prigozhin’s provocation to disorganize the situation, the Kiev regime in the Bakhmutovsky tactical direction focuses on the starting lines for offensive operations of the unit of the 35th Marine Brigade and the 36th Mechanized Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The servicemen of the Southern Group of Forces defeat the enemy with air and artillery strikes.”

01:10
Investigative journalist Daniil Belovodiev called the Wagner PMC recruitment center asking how he could support Prigozhin. There he was advised to call back tomorrow morning.

The journalist told the cameraman that he had already packed his things and was ready to support the founder of Wagner PMC in his conflict with the Ministry of Defense. In the call center they answered him: “What time is it?” and advised to call back tomorrow at 9 am.

00:53
Security measures have been stepped up in Moscow.

“All the most important facilities, public authorities and transport infrastructure facilities have been taken under protection,” TASS reports with reference to law enforcement agencies.

The agency also writes that the OMON and SOBR units of the Russian Guard have been alerted.

00:44
A journalist from the Zerkalo edition, under the guise of a local resident, called the Rostov police. To her questions, they answered that they did not know anything and “they themselves are afraid.”

The journalist got through to the police department No. 1 of the Voroshilovsky district of Rostov-on-Don. The Interior Ministry officer who answered the phone advised her to stay at home. To questions about how long everything will drag on and whether it will be possible to leave the house tomorrow, the policeman replied: “Let’s at least live until tomorrow morning […] We ourselves are afraid. Themselves without a clue. Nobody says anything. Everything is cloudy.”

00:36
Prigozhin claims that Defense Minister Shoigu ordered 2,000 bodies to be hidden in the Rostov morgue.

According to the founder of PMC Wagner, we are talking about the bodies that are stored there, “so as not to show losses.” He announced this in one of his last published audio messages.

Investigative journalist of the Sistema project Daniil Belovodiev notes that we are talking about the “sadest” military unit in Russia – 522 TsPOOP. According to Belovodiev, this is “a huge morgue where unidentified dead soldiers are brought.” DNA tests are carried out there, after which they are looking for relatives of the victims. Belovodiev notes that it is there that the so-called “Cargo 200” is distributed and sent.

00:34
Another general’s appeal to the Wagner military PMCs.


00:29

00:28

00:25
TsOS FSB:

All the information disseminated in social networks on behalf of Prigozhin about the missile and bomb attacks allegedly inflicted by the Ministry of Defense on the rear units of the Wagner PMC is untrue and is an informational provocation. The Russian Armed Forces continue to carry out combat missions on the line of contact with the armed forces of Ukraine in the area of the NMD. Prigozhin’s statements and actions are in fact calls for the start of an armed civil conflict on Russian territory and are a “stab in the back” to Russian servicemen fighting pro-fascist Ukrainian forces. Due to the seriousness of the situation and the threat of an escalation of confrontation in the Russian Federation, the FSB initiated a criminal case on the fact that Prigozhin called for an armed rebellion.

The CSO also urged “not to make irreparable mistakes, to stop any forceful actions against the Russian people, not to carry out the criminal and treacherous orders of Prigozhin, and to take measures to detain him.”

00:13
The Prosecutor General’s Office announced the initiation of a criminal case against Yevgeny Prigozhin under the article on organizing an armed rebellion. This is stated in the telegram channel of the department. They added that article 279 of the Criminal Code provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 12 to 20 years.

00:09
“His roof was blown off”: Meduza sources close to the Kremlin commented on the actions of Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The publication notes that they spoke on this topic mostly obscenely. One of Meduza’s interlocutors said that the head of the Wagner PMC “didn’t coordinate anything like that” with the presidential administration. “The president now trusts the leadership of the Ministry of Defense, the [Ukrainian] counteroffensive turned out to be not such a formidable thing. In any case, this is how it is broadcast outside. Whether Prigozhin coordinates with some power structure, or personally with Putin for some unexpected steps, I don’t know, ”he said.

Another source of the publication called Prigozhin “unpredictable and little controllable.” At the same time, he suggested that the founder of PMC Wagner “may be bluffing”, and that his statements would not lead to any result: “He was blown off the roof. He makes [such] statements, and a system person should not even have such thoughts.”

00:04
The Moscow branch of the FSB was put on alert. This was reported by a source close to the special services of the BBC, the information was also confirmed by the source of the publication in army circles.

According to the latter, on the Don highway (the road between Moscow, Voronezh and Rostov-on-Don), the FSB, with the support of SOBR, set up roadblocks. Those who are on duty are ordered to open fire “in case of a threat.” The equipment is in readiness mode, although the units have not yet received an order to move it out.

Meanwhile, the police in Moscow and the Rostov region announced the Fortress plan, according to sources from the telegram channel Baza, VChK-OGPU and the Rostov edition 161.ru. The “Fortress” plan implies an emergency gathering of personnel and taking control of especially important objects of law enforcement agencies.

There has been no official confirmation of this information.

23:39
“Those who destroyed our guys today, those who destroyed many tens of thousands of lives of Russian soldiers, will be punished. I ask no one to resist. Anyone who tries to put up this resistance, we will consider it a threat, and destroy immediately, including any roadblocks that stand in our way, any aircraft that we see over our heads. I ask everyone to remain calm, not to succumb to provocations, to stay in their homes, preferably not to go outside along the route of our journey, ”Yevgeny Prigozhin made such a statement on the evening of June 23.

“There are 25 thousand of us and we are going to figure out why chaos is happening in the country. 25 thousand are expected as a tactical reserve, and the strategic reserve is the whole army and the whole country. Anyone who wants to join. We must end this disgrace,” said Prigogine. He promised to “finish what he started” and return to the front. According to him, there will be no changes in the work of the president, government and other state structures.

Prigozhin added that Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu “ran away from Rostov at 21:00”. “He ran cowardly, like a woman, in order not to explain why he raised helicopters to destroy our guys, why he launched missile strikes. This creature will be stopped,” said the founder of the PMC. Officially, Shoigu’s visit to this city was not reported. Probably, we are talking about Rostov-on-Don. According to the local publication Rostovgazeta, the visit of the Minister of Defense was reported by NewsFrol and the Moscow Laundry telegram channel.

The Ministry of Defense called Prigozhin’s reports that the ministry allegedly attacked the rear camps of Wagner PMCs as a provocation. “The armed forces of the Russian Federation continue to carry out combat missions on the line of contact with the armed forces of Ukraine in the area of the special military operation,” RIA Novosti quoted the agency as saying. Vladimir Putin is aware of the situation unfolding around Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of PMC Wagner, said Dmitry Peskov.

The National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced the initiation of a criminal case on the fact of calling for an armed rebellion. The Dossier Center, citing a source close to the security services, reports that a criminal case on incitement to rebellion has been personally initiated against Yevgeny Prigozhin. This information has not been officially confirmed.