Wagner Chief Prigozhin Flees Russia For Exile In Belarus After Halting Moscow Invasion

The commander of Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has made the decision to live in exile in the Republic of Belarus, after halting his planned attack on Moscow, Russia.

KanyiDaily recalls that Yevgeny Prigozhin had mobilized his troops on Friday, June 23, accusing the Russian army of launching a rocket attack that allegedly resulted in the deaths of many of his men positions in Ukraine.

On Saturday morning, Prigozhin claimed that his forces had seized control of Russian military facilities in Rostov-on-Don, a crucial operational base for Russia’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.

He threatened to march on Moscow unless Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, met with him in Rostov.

The Wagner Group also alleged that they had taken over Russian facilities in another city, Voronezh, located approximately 600 kilometers (372 miles) north of Rostov-on-Don.

The governor of the Voronezh region, Alexander Gusev, confirmed that the Russian military was undertaking combat measures in the area.

After striking a deal with President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his mercenaries to halt their march on Moscow to avoid “shedding Russian blood” and agreed to live in exile in Belarus.

Prigozhin said that while his men were just 200km (120 miles) from the Russian capital, he decided to turn them back on Saturday to prevent killings.

In an audio message released by his press service, the Wagner chief said his fighters, advancing towards Moscow, were turning around and returning to their bases to avoid bloodshed.

He said: “They wanted to disband the Wagner military company. We embarked on a march of justice on June 23. In 24 hours we got to within 200 km of Moscow. In this time, we did not spill a single drop of our fighters’ blood.”

“Now, the moment has come when blood may spill. That’s why, understanding the responsibility for spilling Russian blood on one of the sides, we are turning back our convoys and going back to field camps according to the plan.”

As part of the ceasefire agreement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov announced that Russia would not pursue a criminal case against Prigozhin, but the Wagner chief would go to exile in Belarus instead of returning to the fighting in Ukraine.

Peskov also stated that Wagner fighters who had followed Prigozhin in the uprising would not face prosecution, recognizing their service at the front lines. While those fighters who did not participate in the uprising would have the option to join the Russian Ministry of Defence.

The swift insurrection led by Wagner appeared to unfold without significant resistance from Russia’s regular armed forces, raising questions about President Putin’s hold on power in the nuclear-armed nation, even after the sudden halt to Wagner’s advance.

During the standoff, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko engaged in negotiations with Prigozhin to stop the movement of Wagner’s troops, following discussions with President Putin.

Prigozhin accepted Lukashenko’s offer to cease Wagner Group’s advance, and further steps were taken to de-escalate tensions. Lukashenko acknowledged that the proposed settlement included security guarantees for Wagner troops, among other terms.

It was not mentioned whether the Kremlin responded to Prigozhin’s demand to remove the Russian Defense Minister, Sergey Shoigu.

Prigozhin accepted the terms of Lukashenko’s agreement and agreed to halt the movement of his forces and return back to his bases.

Lukashenko offered to mediate the situation, with Putin’s agreement, because he had known Prigozhin personally for about 20 years, Peskov said. The highest goal was to avoid bloodshed, internal confrontation, and unpredictable clashes.

KanyiDaily recalls that President, Vladimir Putin condemned the “armed mutiny” led by Wagner chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, warning that those involved would face consequences as traitors to the state.