The open power struggle between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin ended in a deal after Wagner’s fighters marched on Moscow. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said late Saturday night that Prigozhin would go to Belarus and the charges against him would be dropped. Wrestlers in his Wagner group would also not be prosecuted. Prigozhin and Wagner fighters left the city of Rostov-on-Don again.
Earlier they had occupied the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don without resistance and then advanced on Moscow in a military convoy that lasted several hours. According to Prigozhin, they got within 200 kilometers before he surprisingly ordered the troops back to their bases.
Citing the local road traffic authority, Russian news agency Tass reports that all road closures on Russian highways have been lifted. During Saturday, the M-4 highway leading from the south to Moscow was closed for security reasons due to the advancing Wagner Group military convoy.
The deal was brokered by Belarusian head of state Alexander Lukashenko, Peskov said. He offered his help because he had known Prigozhin personally for about 20 years. Putin agreed to this. Wagner fighters who did not participate in the march were invited to sign contracts with the Department of Defense and participants were given immunity for their past service to the nation. Both parties emphasized that they wanted to avoid bloodshed with the deal. A video released by the Russian news agency RIA showed Prigozhin leaving the region’s military headquarters in Rostov in an SUV.
Putin had previously accused Prigozhin of treason. In a speech he said: “What we see is a stab in the back.” He also announced: “All those who deliberately embarked on the path of treason, who prepared an armed uprising, who took the path of blackmail and terrorist methods will inevitably be punished.” Peskow said avoiding confrontation and bloodshed was more important than punishment.
Soon after the agreement was announced, the mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and Wagner’s fighters withdrew from Rostov-on-Don. They also took control of military installations in the city of Voronezh, halfway to Moscow. According to Portal, they were targeted by military helicopters. In Moscow, security measures were temporarily increased and lockdowns established. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin urged people to stay indoors and declared Monday a day off. The situation in Russia has also put the rest of the world on high alert. Western countries such as the US, Germany and France discussed the situation in crisis talks.
For months, Prigozhin has sharply criticized the military leadership around Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valeri Gerasimov, accusing them of incompetence. On Friday, he accused Shoigu of attacking Wagner mercenaries from the air, killing many fighters. He was also openly opposed to his former patron Putin. “The president is making a big mistake when he talks about treason,” Prigozhin said in an audio message on Telegram. No one will bow to the president’s orders. “Because we don’t want the country to continue living with corruption, fraud and bureaucracy.”
Prigozhin also demanded that Shoigu and Gerasimov be deposed. Personnel changes at Russia’s Ministry of Defense are not part of the deal, stressed Kremlin spokesman Peskov. These are alone in the power of Russian President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Vladimir Putin. “So it’s unlikely these issues were discussed,” says Peskow.
The power struggle escalated during a potentially crucial phase of the war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian army recently launched its long-awaited offensive to recapture Russian-controlled territories. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Prigozhin’s revolt against Moscow a sign of weakness. “Total weakness,” he wrote on Telegram. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andriy Melnyk spoke of a “unique opportunity for the Ukrainian army to move forward with our counter-offensive with renewed vigour”.