Wagner chief moving to Belarus after Lukashenko-brokered deal to halt march on Moscow
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Wagner chief Veygeny Prigozhin will be moving to Belarus as part of a deal reached with Russian President Vladimir Putin to halt an impending march on Moscow.
The announcement came after Prigozhin said he had ordered Wagner troops to turn around, defusing a dramatically escalating crisis.
Early Saturday, Wagner troops appeared to control the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city 660 miles south of Moscow that runs Russian operations in Ukraine. Wagner troops and equipment also were in Lipetsk province, about 360 kilometers south of Moscow, where authorities were "taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of the population," said regional Gov. Igor Artamonov, via Telegram.
Later Saturday, Prigozhin announced that while his men were just 120 miles from Moscow, he decided to turn them back to avoid "shedding Russian blood."
Putin had vowed harsh consequences for organizers of the armed uprising led by his onetime protégé. In a televised speech to the nation, Putin called the rebellion a "betrayal" and "treason."
"All those who prepared the rebellion will suffer inevitable punishment," Putin said. "The armed forces and other government agencies have received the necessary orders."
It wasn't immediately clear what concessions, if any, Putin may have made to persuade Prigozhin to halt his march.
Peskov said Wagner troops would not be charged "because of their deeds on the front."
Peskov added that Wagner troops who did not take part in the rebellion would sign contracts with Russia’s defense ministry.
Western analysts have cautioned that the crisis in Russia is far from over. Dr. Ivana Stradner, a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies who has been studying the unfolding situation closely, told Fox News Digital that "whoever believes this will end soon is sorely mistaken."
Stradner cautioned the U.S. not to take sides, saying "we should not be overly optimistic about regime change as after Putin, we may see someone even more radical."
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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