Rebellious Russian warlord to be exiled to Belarus – Kremlin’s spokesman

June 25, BPN. Yevgeny Prigozhin, rebellious founder of the Wagner private military company, “will go to Belarus,” Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists late on June 24.

Russian authorities would drop criminal charges of armed mutiny against Prigozhin, TASS reported citing Peskov. It remains unclear what the mercenaries’ chief will do in the Belarusian exile.

Wagner Group fighters who took part in the revolt will not be prosecuted given their “frontline merits,” Peskov noted. Russian Defense Ministry will offer some of them contract military service, he added.

Prigozhin’s military revolt started on June 23 as Wagner units left the occupied parts of Ukraine and entered Russia in a “march of justice.” They passed through Russia’s Rostov-on-Don, Voronezh and the Lipetsk region before stopping within 200 km from Moscow.

On June 24, Alaksandr Łukašenka reportedly “held talks” with Prigozhin to stop his advance on Moscow at Putin’s request. Later that day, the Wagner chief announced the return of his units to their bases to avoid bloodshed but did not mention Łukašenka’s involvement.