Wagner chief to leave for Belarus as Kremlin drops criminal case against him

It’s a big relief to President Vladimir Putin’s authorities after mercenary group (Wagner) chief Yevgeny Prigozhin decided to pull off his force against Russian military leadership in Moscow. The militia leader will now leave for Belarus and a criminal case against him will also be dropped, said the Kremlin. Speaking to the media, Kremlin spokesperson […]

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Edited By: Alina Khan
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It’s a big relief to President Vladimir Putin’s authorities after mercenary group (Wagner) chief Yevgeny Prigozhin decided to pull off his force against Russian military leadership in Moscow. The militia leader will now leave for Belarus and a criminal case against him will also be dropped, said the Kremlin.

Speaking to the media, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “Avoiding bloodshed, internal confrontation, and clashes with unpredictable results was the highest goal.” 

Respected Belarus’ heroic deeds: Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov

Under the agreement, brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the mercenary group’s fighters will not be prosecuted, the spokesperson told the media. 

“We have always respected their heroic deeds at the front,” Peskov added. 

Non- rebellion Wagner fighters can join Russian army

The Wagner fighters who had not participated in the rebellion would be allowed to formally join the Russian army, he said. 

“An agreement has been reached that Wagner would return to its bases.”

Prigozhin called off his army as he avoided bloodshed

On Saturday, the Wagner chief, Prigozhin called off his troops’ advance toward Moscow, pulling Russia back from its most serious crisis in decades. Prigozhin’s threat was a big bombshell to Putin’s authorities. 

In an audio message, the chief of Wagner PMC (private military company), Yevgeny Prigozhin said the fighter would return to base because of the risk of bloodshed. 

Feud between Wagner chief and Russian military 

The feud between the mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russia’s military leaders had boiled on Saturday, with mercenaries capturing a key army headquarters in southern Russia and then heading north to threaten Russia’s capital city, Moscow. 

The Kremlin spokesperson also said that it was ‘out of the question’ that Wagner’s aborted rebellion would impact Russia’s campaign against Ukraine’s Kyiv.

Moreover, Peskov added that Moscow was grateful to Lukashenko for his vital role in mediating the crisis.