Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday gave three options to fighters from the Wagner paramilitary group: join regular Russian troops, go to Belarus (where militia chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is due to move) or demobilize.
In a statement, Putin said that the members of Wagner made the “right decision” to stop their advance in Russian territory (which reached a few hundred kilometers from Moscow) on Saturday (24).
“I thank the soldiers and commanders of the Wagner Group, who took the only decision that would be right – they did not opt for fratricidal bloodshed, they stopped at the last line,” said the Russian president.
Putin added that Wagner fighters will have the “opportunity to continue serving Russia by entering into a contract with the Ministry of Defense or other law enforcement agencies, or to return to their family and friends. Whoever wants can go to Belarus”.
On Friday, Prigozhin announced a response to an attack on a militia camp that he blamed on Russian forces. The Wagner fighters advanced into Russian territory, but on Saturday an agreement was announced whereby the head of the mercenary group would go to Belarus, an ally of the Kremlin, and the march was stopped.
The mercenary group has helped Russian troops in the invasion of Ukraine, but on several occasions Prigozhin has expressed dissatisfaction with the Russian military command, claiming that the lack of support has generated great losses in its ranks, until the outbreak of the crisis with the Kremlin in recent days. .
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