All charges against the Wagner troops are dropped. And this despite the fact that Vladimir Putin labeled them “traitors”. What reads as a defeat should nevertheless be regarded as a Kremlin victory.
Russia drops all charges against the Wagner uprising, Interfax news agency reports. According to journalists reporting from Moscow, the Russian news service FSB announced that the case was dropped because “the participants ceased activities directly aimed at committing the crime”.
Translated, this means: The violent invasion of the mercenary group, in which several soldiers lost their lives, will have no legal consequences, although ruler Vladimir Putin in an initial reaction described those involved as “traitors” and “putschists” and threatened them with “inevitable punishment” .
The fact that the Kremlin later declared that the rebels would get away with it after the uprising ended and the withdrawal from Russia caused astonishment in the vast empire. Anyone who even slightly criticizes Putin’s war against Ukraine normally risks many years in a prison camp in Russia. Commentators interpreted Putin’s concession as weakness.
Wagner hands over weapons
But the Kremlin should still view the situation as a victory. The Russian Defense Ministry said Wagner was preparing to hand over his heavy weapons to the military. The Wagner troops were also given three options:
- Join the Russian army.
- Together with Wagner boss Prigozchin to Belarus.
- Or to return to Russia to their families.
Prior to the uprising, Prigozhin had resisted orders to place his troops under the command of the Defense Ministry. Now that actually seems to be the case, which can be seen as a defeat for “Putin’s cook”. However, the Wagner group should not be completely disbanded, but should continue to operate on Belarusian soil and in Africa. And therefore probably also play an important role in the war in Ukraine.
It also remains to be seen how Prigozhin’s soldiers will react now. Many of them do not feel obliged to the state, but to their boss. But outwardly the balance of power – and that is very important in Russia – seems to have adjusted.
Prigozhin apparently landed in Minsk
On Friday, Prigozhin launched an uprising with a march on Moscow by his fighters, which he suddenly broke off on Saturday. According to an agreement with the Russian government, he goes into exile in Belarus.
According to flight records, a plane linked to mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin in hiding was flying from Russia to Belarus, according to US sanctions documents. According to the flight monitoring site Flightradar24, the flight of the Russian-registered jet took place on Tuesday morning. According to the US documents, the identification codes of the Embraer Legacy 600 match those of an aircraft assigned to Prigozhin by the US.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
