Russia said on Tuesday that it had dropped the charges against the Wagner paramilitary group, who led a rebellion against the Russian authorities last weekend, and assured that prepares the transfer of his “heavy” weapons to his army.
The Wagner group, whose head, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was described as a “traitor” by President Vladimir Putin, he did not confirm that he would hand over his weapons to the authorities. It is also not clear what type of equipment would be affected by this measure.
These events have shown how far society is consolidated around the president
President Putin, facing his worst crisis since coming to power two decades ago, said in a speech Monday that he had avoided “bloodshed” during the 24-hour uprising that ended Saturday night.
(You can read: Putin speaks for the first time after the Wagner Group rebellion: “They wanted Russia to lose”)
Denouncing a “betrayal”, Putin maintained that Wagner’s fighters could return home, join the army or settle in Belarus, whose leader, Alexander Lukashenko, acted as a mediator in the crisis.
Some analysts saw in this unusual gesture of clemency a sign of weakness by the Russian president. An analysis that the Kremlin flatly rejected. “We disagree,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said, citing “empty discussions” that “have nothing to do with reality.”
“These events have shown how far society is consolidated around the president,” he added.
Instead, Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin, considered the rebellion to be the result of mismanagement of rivalries between Wagner and the Russian army, which have not stopped increasing in recent months.
“The situation got out of hand, then we thought it would be resolved but it was not resolved,” Lukashenko told reporters. “There are no heroes in this story,” he added.
(Also read: The future of Wagner and other unknowns left by the Prigozhin rebellion in Russia)
In an apparent attempt to turn the page, The Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that “preparations are underway to transfer Wagner’s heavy military equipment to the army. to active units of the Russian armed forces.
With such a measure, would neutralize, in practice, the Wanger group, whose leader nonetheless claims to have started his revolt to “save” that organization, at risk of being absorbed by the army on July 1
Billionaire Yevgeny Prigozhin has not appeared in public since the failed riot ended on Saturday night. In an audio recording released Monday, he denied wanting to “overthrow power.”
Some Belarusian media reported that a private jet from Prigozhin landed Tuesday morning in Belarus, but neither the authorities nor Prigozhin himself confirmed this.
In addition, the Russian security services (FSB) announced on Tuesday that they were dropping charges against Wagner for “armed uprising.” According to the FSB, it was proven that the participants in the rebellion “put an end to their actions to commit a crime.” Because of this and “other circumstances” not specified, “it was decided to drop the charges,” the source explained.
(Keep Reading: Wagner Leader Prigozhin Breaks His Silence After Failed Rebellion Against Putin)
An indulgent attitude that contrasts with the relentless repression against any opponent or anonymous person who denounces the military offensive in Ukraine, especially considering that Putin himself acknowledged on Monday night that Russian army pilots died in the rebellion.
In a single day, heavily armed Wagner fighters seized control of military sites and marched hundreds of kilometers toward Moscow. A situation that led Lukashenko to order his army to remain “combat ready” when the rebellion broke out, the Belarusian president said on Tuesday.
Some analysts also estimate that the uprising could weaken Russian forces in Ukraine and could benefit the kyiv army in its counteroffensive.
AFP
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