Russian mercenary group revolt against Moscow fizzles but exposes vulnerabilities
Russian mercenary group revolt against Moscow fizzles but exposes vulnerabilities
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, right, sits inside a military vehicle posing for a selfie photo with a local civilian on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Members of the Wagner Group military company load their tank onto a truck on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, looks out from a military vehicle on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, leaving an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Membes of the Wagner Group military company sit atop of a tank on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
People shout and wave a flag of the Wagner Group military company to servicemen prior to their leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
People walk around an armored vehicle of the Wagner Group military company with “Brother” written on it, prior to leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company sit in their military vehicles as they prepare to leave an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
In this handout photo taken from video released by Prigozhin Press Service, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, records his video addresses in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. The owner of the Wagner private military contractor who called for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defense minister has confirmed in a video that he and his troops have reached Rostov-on-Don. (Prigozhin Press Service via AP)
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company sit atop of a tank, as local civilians pose for a photo prior to their leave an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on monitors as he addresses the nation after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, called for armed rebellion and reached the southern city of Rostov-on-Don with his troops, in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (Pavel Bednyakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Two servicemen stand on a tribune of Lenin mausoleum closed due to security reasons, Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (AP Photo)
Russian servicemen guard an area standing in front of a tank in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services have responded to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (Vasily Deryugin, Kommersant Publishing House via AP)
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company talk to each other as they guard an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
Servicemen sit in a tank with a flag of the Wagner Group military company, as they guard an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
An APC and road police officers stand on the highway at the entrance to Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (AP Photo)
A billboard reading “Join us at Wagner”, which is associated with the Wagner private military group and contractor Yevgeny Prigozhin, is seen above a highway on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services have responded to mercenary chief Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
A man takes down the poster with writing reading “Join us at Wagner”, which is associated with the owner of the Wagner private military contractor, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is seen above a highway on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services have responded to mercenary chief Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
CORRECTS DATE - In this photo taken from video a Russian armored vehicle stands in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services responded to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
A serviceman stands atop of an armored vehicle of the Wagner Group military company, as he guards an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company guard an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speak during their meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the resort city of Sochi, Russia, Friday, June 9, 2023. Prigozhin didn’t say whether the Kremlin had responded to his demand to oust Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin. The announcement followed a statement from the office of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko saying that he had negotiated a deal with Prigozhin after previously discussing the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, enter, flanked by Alexei Dyumin, acting governor of the Tula region, left, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, visits an exhibition at the Splav defense enterprise in Tula, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Moscow, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
In this image from video, a man sits atop an armored vehicle in the street as residents of the southern Russian city talk with military personnel on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Earlier in the day, the head of the Wagner group, mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had ordered his personnel to halt their march on Moscow to avoid shedding Russian blood. (AP Photo/APTN)
In this image from video, residents of the southern Russian city of Rostov take photos of an armored vehicle in the street as they talk with military personnel on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Earlier in the day, the head of the Wagner group, mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had ordered his personnel to halt their march on Moscow to avoid shedding Russian blood. (AP Photo/APTN)
Members of the Wagner Group military company sit atop a tank on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Local people applaud servicemen of the Wagner Group military company as they prepare to leave an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, right, sits inside a military vehicle posing for a selfie photo with a local civilian on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, right, sits inside a military vehicle posing for a selfie photo with a local civilian on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Members of the Wagner Group military company load their tank onto a truck on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Members of the Wagner Group military company load their tank onto a truck on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, looks out from a military vehicle on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, leaving an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, looks out from a military vehicle on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, leaving an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Membes of the Wagner Group military company sit atop of a tank on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Membes of the Wagner Group military company sit atop of a tank on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
People shout and wave a flag of the Wagner Group military company to servicemen prior to their leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
People shout and wave a flag of the Wagner Group military company to servicemen prior to their leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
People walk around an armored vehicle of the Wagner Group military company with “Brother” written on it, prior to leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
People walk around an armored vehicle of the Wagner Group military company with “Brother” written on it, prior to leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company sit in their military vehicles as they prepare to leave an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company sit in their military vehicles as they prepare to leave an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
In this handout photo taken from video released by Prigozhin Press Service, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, records his video addresses in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. The owner of the Wagner private military contractor who called for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defense minister has confirmed in a video that he and his troops have reached Rostov-on-Don. (Prigozhin Press Service via AP)
In this handout photo taken from video released by Prigozhin Press Service, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, records his video addresses in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. The owner of the Wagner private military contractor who called for an armed rebellion aimed at ousting Russia’s defense minister has confirmed in a video that he and his troops have reached Rostov-on-Don. (Prigozhin Press Service via AP)
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company sit atop of a tank, as local civilians pose for a photo prior to their leave an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company sit atop of a tank, as local civilians pose for a photo prior to their leave an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on monitors as he addresses the nation after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, called for armed rebellion and reached the southern city of Rostov-on-Don with his troops, in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (Pavel Bednyakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on monitors as he addresses the nation after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, called for armed rebellion and reached the southern city of Rostov-on-Don with his troops, in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (Pavel Bednyakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Two servicemen stand on a tribune of Lenin mausoleum closed due to security reasons, Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (AP Photo)
Two servicemen stand on a tribune of Lenin mausoleum closed due to security reasons, Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (AP Photo)
Russian servicemen guard an area standing in front of a tank in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services have responded to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (Vasily Deryugin, Kommersant Publishing House via AP)
Russian servicemen guard an area standing in front of a tank in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services have responded to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (Vasily Deryugin, Kommersant Publishing House via AP)
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company talk to each other as they guard an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company talk to each other as they guard an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
Servicemen sit in a tank with a flag of the Wagner Group military company, as they guard an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
Servicemen sit in a tank with a flag of the Wagner Group military company, as they guard an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
An APC and road police officers stand on the highway at the entrance to Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (AP Photo)
An APC and road police officers stand on the highway at the entrance to Moscow, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (AP Photo)
A billboard reading “Join us at Wagner”, which is associated with the Wagner private military group and contractor Yevgeny Prigozhin, is seen above a highway on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services have responded to mercenary chief Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
A billboard reading “Join us at Wagner”, which is associated with the Wagner private military group and contractor Yevgeny Prigozhin, is seen above a highway on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services have responded to mercenary chief Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
A man takes down the poster with writing reading “Join us at Wagner”, which is associated with the owner of the Wagner private military contractor, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is seen above a highway on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services have responded to mercenary chief Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
A man takes down the poster with writing reading “Join us at Wagner”, which is associated with the owner of the Wagner private military contractor, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is seen above a highway on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services have responded to mercenary chief Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
CORRECTS DATE - In this photo taken from video a Russian armored vehicle stands in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services responded to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
CORRECTS DATE - In this photo taken from video a Russian armored vehicle stands in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services responded to mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
A serviceman stands atop of an armored vehicle of the Wagner Group military company, as he guards an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
A serviceman stands atop of an armored vehicle of the Wagner Group military company, as he guards an area at the HQ of the Southern Military District in a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company guard an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
Servicemen of the Wagner Group military company guard an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Russia’s security services had responded to Prigozhin’s declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat, security was heightened in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don and other regions. (AP Photo)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speak during their meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the resort city of Sochi, Russia, Friday, June 9, 2023. Prigozhin didn’t say whether the Kremlin had responded to his demand to oust Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin. The announcement followed a statement from the office of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko saying that he had negotiated a deal with Prigozhin after previously discussing the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko speak during their meeting at the Bocharov Ruchei residence in the resort city of Sochi, Russia, Friday, June 9, 2023. Prigozhin didn’t say whether the Kremlin had responded to his demand to oust Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin. The announcement followed a statement from the office of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko saying that he had negotiated a deal with Prigozhin after previously discussing the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Gavriil Grigorov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, enter, flanked by Alexei Dyumin, acting governor of the Tula region, left, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, visits an exhibition at the Splav defense enterprise in Tula, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Moscow, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
FILE - Russian President Vladimir Putin, enter, flanked by Alexei Dyumin, acting governor of the Tula region, left, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, right, visits an exhibition at the Splav defense enterprise in Tula, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Moscow, Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)
In this image from video, a man sits atop an armored vehicle in the street as residents of the southern Russian city talk with military personnel on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Earlier in the day, the head of the Wagner group, mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had ordered his personnel to halt their march on Moscow to avoid shedding Russian blood. (AP Photo/APTN)
In this image from video, a man sits atop an armored vehicle in the street as residents of the southern Russian city talk with military personnel on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Earlier in the day, the head of the Wagner group, mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had ordered his personnel to halt their march on Moscow to avoid shedding Russian blood. (AP Photo/APTN)
In this image from video, residents of the southern Russian city of Rostov take photos of an armored vehicle in the street as they talk with military personnel on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Earlier in the day, the head of the Wagner group, mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had ordered his personnel to halt their march on Moscow to avoid shedding Russian blood. (AP Photo/APTN)
In this image from video, residents of the southern Russian city of Rostov take photos of an armored vehicle in the street as they talk with military personnel on Saturday, June 24, 2023. Earlier in the day, the head of the Wagner group, mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said he had ordered his personnel to halt their march on Moscow to avoid shedding Russian blood. (AP Photo/APTN)
Members of the Wagner Group military company sit atop a tank on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Members of the Wagner Group military company sit atop a tank on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023, prior to leaving an area at the headquarters of the Southern Military District. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Local people applaud servicemen of the Wagner Group military company as they prepare to leave an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
Local people applaud servicemen of the Wagner Group military company as they prepare to leave an area of the headquarters of the Southern Military District on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24, 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s troops who joined him in the uprising will not face prosecution and those who did not will be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. After the deal was reached Saturday, Prigozhin ordered his troops to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian troops. (AP Photo)
The greatest challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin in his more than two decades in power fizzled out after the rebellious mercenary commander who ordered his troops to march on Moscow abruptly reached a deal with the Kremlin to go into exile and sounded the retreat.
The brief revolt, though, exposed vulnerabilities among Russian government forces, with Wagner Group soldiers under the command of Yevgeny Prigozhin able to move unimpeded into the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and advance hundreds of kilometers (miles) toward Moscow. The Russian military scrambled to defend Russia’s capital.
Under the deal announced Saturday by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Prigozhin will go to neighboring Belarus, which has supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Charges against him of mounting an armed rebellion will be dropped.
The government also said it would not prosecute Wagner fighters who took part, while those who did not join in were to be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. Prigozhin ordered his troops back to their field camps in Ukraine, where they have been fighting alongside Russian regular soldiers.
Putin had vowed earlier to punish those behind the armed uprising led by his onetime protege. In a televised speech to the nation, he called the rebellion a “betrayal” and “treason.”
In allowing Prigozhin and his forces to go free, Peskov said, Putin’s “highest goal” was “to avoid bloodshed and internal confrontation with unpredictable results.”
Some observers said Putin’s strongman image has taken a hit.
“Putin has been diminished for all time by this affair,” former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst said on CNN.
Moscow had braced for the arrival of the Wagner forces by erecting checkpoints with armored vehicles and troops on the city’s southern edge. About 3,000 Chechen soldiers were pulled from fighting in Ukraine and rushed there early Saturday, state television in Chechnya reported. Russian troops armed with machine guns put up checkpoints on Moscow’s southern outskirts. Crews dug up sections of highways to slow the march.
Wagner troops advanced to just 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Moscow, according to Prigozhin. But after the deal was struck, Prigozhin announced that he had decided to retreat to avoid “shedding Russian blood.”
Prigozhin had demanded the ouster of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, whom Prigohzhin has long criticized in withering terms for his conduct of the 16-month-long war in Ukraine. On Friday, he accused forces under Shoigu’s command of attacking Wagner camps and killing “a huge number of our comrades.”
If Putin were to agree to Shoigu’s ouster, it could be politically damaging for the president after he branded Prigozhin a backstabbing traitor.
The U.S. had intelligence that Prigozhin had been building up his forces near the border with Russia for some time. That conflicts with Prigozhin’s claim that his rebellion was a response to an attack on his camps in Ukraine on Friday by the Russian military.
In announcing the rebellion, Prigozhin accused Russian forces of attacking the Wagner camps in Ukraine with rockets, helicopter gunships and artillery. He alleged that Gen. Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff, ordered the attacks following a meeting with Shoigu in which they decided to destroy the military contractor.
The Defense Ministry denied attacking the camps.
Congressional leaders were briefed on the Wagner buildup earlier last week, a person familiar with the matter said. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. The U.S. intelligence briefing was first reported by CNN.
Early Saturday, Prigozhin’s private army appeared to control the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city 660 miles (over 1,000 kilometers) south of Moscow, which runs Russian operations in Ukraine, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said.
Russian media reported that several helicopters and a military communications plane were downed by Wagner troops. Russia’s Defense Ministry has not commented.
After the agreement de-escalated tensions, video from Rostov-on-Don posted on Russian messaging app channels showed people cheering Wagner troops as they departed. Prigozhin was riding in an SUV followed by a large truck, and people greeted him and some ran to shake his hand. The regional governor later said that all of the troops had left the city.
Wagner troops and equipment also were in Lipetsk province, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) south of Moscow.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin declared Monday a non-working day for most residents as part of the heightened security, a measure that remained in effect even after the retreat.
Ukrainians hoped the Russian infighting would create opportunities for their army to take back territory seized by Russian forces.
“These events will have been of great comfort to the Ukrainian government and the military,” said Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He said that even with a deal, Putin’s position has probably been weakened.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Saturday, shortly before Prigozhin announced his retreat, that the march exposed weakness in the Kremlin and “showed all Russian bandits, mercenaries, oligarchs” that it is easy to capture Russian cities “and, probably, arsenals.”
Wagner troops have played a crucial role in the Ukraine war, capturing the eastern city of Bakhmut, an area where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place. But Prigozhin has increasingly criticized the military brass, accusing it of incompetence and of starving his troops of munitions.
The 62-year-old Prigozhin, a former convict, has longstanding ties to Putin and won lucrative Kremlin catering contracts that earned him the nickname “Putin’s chef.”
He and a dozen other Russian nationals were charged in the United States with operating a covert social media campaign aimed at fomenting discord ahead of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election victory. Wagner has sent military contractors to Libya, Syria, several African countries and eventually Ukraine.
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Associated Press writers Danica Kirka in London, and Nomaan Merchant in Washington, contributed.
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Follow AP coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine-war