Moscow, 24 June 2023 (dpa/MIA) - The head of the Wagner mercenary force, Yevgeny Prigozhin, says his troops have occupied key military objects in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

"Under our control are military objects of Rostov, including the airport," Prigozhin said in a video released on Saturday morning.

He claimed to have also taken the Russian army's headquarters for the south of the country in the city of over 1 million in the border region with Ukraine. This could not immediately be independently verified.

The Defence Ministry in Moscow did not initially comment on Prigozhin's claims.

Prigozhin also said in the video that fighter jets for the war against Ukraine continued to take off from the airfield in Rostov as planned: "The planes ... are taking off on schedule."

Prigozhin claimed earlier his troops shot down a military helicopter that was firing at a civilian convoy.

He did not provide evidence of his claims and they could not be independently verified.

Governor of the Rostov region, Vasily Golubev, told residents to stay calm and remain indoors.

"The current situation requires the maximum concentration of all forces to maintain order," he wrote on Telegram.

"Law enforcement agencies are doing everything necessary to ensure the safety of residents of the area."

On Friday, the Russian secret service FSB announced it was investigating Prigozhin for an attempted military coup.

The head of the private army had called for a fight against Moscow's military leadership on Friday evening, according to the Interfax news agency.

Prigozhin accused Moscow's military leadership of attacking his mercenary units and threatened countermeasures.

The FSB and Russia's Defence Ministry denied Prigozhin's allegations. All allegations were false and a "provocation," the ministry said in a statement.

The National Anti-Terrorism Committee also called the allegations baseless.

Photo: EPA