The owner of the Wagner private military contractor who called for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia's defense minister confirmed in a video that he and his troops have reached Rostov-on-Don.

The city is home to the Russian military headquarters that oversees the fighting in Ukraine.

Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed early Saturday that his forces had crossed into Russia from Ukraine, where they have played a crucial role in the war. The video posted on social media was the first confirmation that he was in Rostov.

He has long feuded with the Defense Ministry and late Friday claimed that the defense minister had ordered an attack on his field camps in Ukraine.