Russia investigates possible Western intelligence involvement in Wagner rebellion

Foreign Minister Lavrov announced that Russian agencies are investigating whether Western intelligence was involved in the Wagner rebellion.

"I do not work at the agency that collects evidence of illegal activities, but we have specialized units and I am sure they know how to do this," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on June 26 when asked if there was evidence that Western or Ukrainian intelligence was involved in the Wagner rebellion.

Commenting on reports that US intelligence may have detected signs of a Wagner rebellion early, Lavrov said, "If I remember correctly, CNN reported that US intelligence knew about the upcoming rebellion for several days, but decided not to inform anyone. They clearly hoped the rebellion would be successful."

Mr Lavrov said units of the Wagner private military group would continue to operate in Mali and the Central African Republic. "Wagner members are working there as trainers and of course this work will continue," Mr Lavrov said.

The US and Western countries have not commented on the Russian Foreign Minister's comments.

Wagner soldiers stand in front of tanks in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on June 24. Photo: RIA Novosti — Wagner soldiers stand in front of tanks in Rostov-on-Don, Russia on June 24. Photo: *RIA Novosti*

Wagner said on June 26 that its headquarters in St. Petersburg "continues to operate normally in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation despite the events that have occurred," referring to the riots two days earlier. The group affirmed that it "has worked hard for the future of Russia" and thanked Wagner's supporters.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, on June 24 sent thousands of members of the group into Rostov province after accusing Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu of ordering the attack on their barracks, causing heavy casualties. The Russian Defense Ministry denied this information.

Wagner forces entered Rostov-on-Don, the capital of Rostov Oblast, and took control of the headquarters of Russia's Southern Military District. Wagner units then moved to the cities of Voronezh and Lipetsk, south of Moscow, where Russian authorities launched an anti-terrorist operation in the two cities to counter the militants.

After talks brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin agreed to withdraw his forces and ordered Wagner units to return to their barracks to avoid bloodshed. The Kremlin announced on June 25 that Prigozhin would leave Russia and go to Belarus, and that he and other Wagner members involved in the rebellion would not be prosecuted.

Russian officials said several homes and roads were damaged in the Wagner riots, and a large fire in Voronezh province may have been linked to the incident. They said no casualties had been reported.

Nguyen Tien (According to TASS, AFP )

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