The criminal case against the founder of the Wagner private military group, Evgeny Prigozhin, will be dropped and he will leave Russia, the Kremlin announced late on June 24 (local time).
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed that Mr. Prigozhin, a St. Petersburg-based tycoon who made his fortune in the catering business, “will go to Belarus,” but it was unclear what Mr. Prigozhin would do in Russia’s close ally neighbor.
According to Mr. Peskov, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko volunteered to act as a mediator because the Belarusian leader has known Mr. Prigozhin for about 20 years.
“You may ask me why President Lukashenko became the mediator? The point is that he has had personal relations with Mr Prigozhin for a long time, about 20 years, and this was Mr Lukashenko’s personal initiative in coordination with President Putin,” the Kremlin official said.
In addition, Mr. Peskov also said that Wagner fighters will not be prosecuted, taking into account their efforts on the front lines of the conflict in Ukraine, explaining that Russian President Vladimir Putin “always attaches great importance to their achievements.”
Mr. Peskov announced that Wagner fighters refused to participate in the mutiny and those who wanted to would be allowed to sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry .
Wagner commander Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves the Southern Military District headquarters in Rostov-on-Don on the night of June 24, 2023. Mr. Prigozhin will travel to neighboring Belarus. Photo: The Guardian
Wagner launched a major mutiny in Russia on the night of June 23, seizing control of the Southern Military District headquarters and several other administrative and military sites in the city of Rostov-on-Don, and advancing toward the capital Moscow.
The uprising was halted late on June 24, after negotiations between Mr Prigozhin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in coordination with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mr Wagner eventually agreed to return his units to “field camps”.
Confirming the withdrawal in a statement late on June 24, Mr Prigozhin said the uprising had reached the brink of major bloodshed.
“They wanted to disband Wagner. On June 23, we took part in the one-day March of Justice. We advanced towards Moscow, only 200 kilometers away, and during this time our fighters did not shed a single drop of blood,” Prigozhin said.
However, during the mutiny, Wagner members are said to have shot down several planes and engaged in repeated skirmishes with Russian forces .
Minh Duc (According to TASS, RT)
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