The pinnacle of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, has been exiled to Belarus after calling off his gorgeous however short-lived mutiny in opposition to Russia’s navy management on Saturday, in accordance with the Kremlin. As a part of the reported deal — brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko — Moscow dropped prison fees and Wagner forces withdrew from cities and key navy installations they quickly seized in southern Russia. Wagner fighters who didn’t take part within the insurrection will be formally integrated into the Russian navy, the Kremlin stated.
Since its founding almost a decade in the past, the Wagner Group has sometimes operated within the shadows in Ukraine, Africa and elsewhere on the planet. The worldwide community of organizations of fighters for rent has been identified to be led by Prigozhin and allied with the Kremlin, although particulars stay shrouded in secrecy. On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin — a one-time ally of Prigozhin — informed state-run TASS information company that Wagner was “absolutely funded by the state,” although he didn’t say whether or not that money stream would proceed.
Tensions between Prigozhin and Moscow had been rising for months. For a lot of the final yr, Prigozhin has been clashing with Russia’s prime brass and railing in opposition to the generals for what he says is their mishandling of the warfare in Ukraine. He accused them of failing to provide his troops, who’re preventing on the entrance strains, with sufficient ammunition.
The standoff got here to a head late Friday when Prigozhin vowed to march on Moscow. In an 11-minute speech launched Monday on Telegram, Prigozhin stated he took motion to forestall his mercenaries from being absorbed into Russia’s common navy, to not overthrew the federal government. However the group’s lightning blitz towards the capital — and seizure of navy websites alongside the best way — shocked observers and prompted Russian authorities to scramble to construct defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and different cities. Putin pledged to crush the revolt and has portrayed its individuals as traitors to the nation.
Right here’s what to know concerning the Wagner Group and its chief.