Moscow mayor declares terrorism alert as Wagner Group advances on city

June 24 (UPI) -- The mayor of Moscow on Saturday placed the Russian capital on a counter-terrorism alert as fighters loyal to Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner mercenary group advanced on the city from the south.

Sergei Sobyanin said the "situation is difficult" and urged Muscovites to "refrain from travelling around the city as much as possible" in a post on the Telegram social media platform.

City services were placed on "high alert" and Monday was declared a non-working day for those with non-military or emergency services job, the mayor declared.

The move came as forces led by Prigozhin's group advanced in the direction of Moscow. Reports at mid-day Saturday placed them in the Lipetsk region, roughly 250 miles from the Russian capital.

Roadblocks were beginning to emerge along their route into Moscow along the M4 Highway in an effort to prevent them from entering the city, the Washington Post reported.