Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group, stopped the invasion of Moscow to avoid ‘shedding Russian blood’

New Delhi: Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Russian private military company Wagner, announced on Saturday that he has stopped the movement of his mercenaries towards Moscow and ordered them to return to their bases in Ukraine, reports AP news agency. Have given. He said he wanted to avoid “shedding Russian blood” in a confrontation with President Vladimir Putin’s government.
The move appears to ease a tense standoff that has posed the biggest threat to Putin’s rule in more than 20 years. Moscow had prepared for the arrival of the rogue mercenary force by barricading its southern outskirts with troops and armored vehicles. Red Square was closed, and the mayor asked drivers to avoid certain streets.

Prigozhin said that his men were only 200 kilometers (120 mi) from Moscow when he decided to recall them. He did not say whether Moscow had responded to his demand for the removal of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The Kremlin did not immediately comment.

The announcement came as the office of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he had reached an agreement with Prigozhin after speaking with Putin. Lukashenko’s office said Prigozhin agreed to stop the march in a proposed agreement that provides security guarantees for Wagner troops. Details were not given in this.

Also read: Who Is Putin’s Chef Yevgeny Prigozhin, Head of Wagner Mercenary Group, Now Calling for Armed Uprising Against Russia?

Vladimir Putin warned of dire consequences

Faced with the first serious challenge to his 23-year rule, President Vladimir Putin vowed to crush an insurgency by armed mercenaries, which he compared to the civil war in Russia a hundred years ago. In a national address on Saturday, Putin promised to defend the country and its people from an insurgency led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former aide and owner of the Wagner private military company. Putin said the rebellion was a “deadly threat to our state” and promised to take “tough measures” in response. “Those who conspired to revolt will face inevitable justice.

Necessary orders have been given to the Armed Forces and other state agencies,” Putin said. They denounced Prigozhin as “betrayal” and “treason”, without directly naming him. He appealed to “those who are being implicated in this crime, not to make the fatal and tragic, one-of-a-kind mistake, to make the only right decision – to stop participating in criminal acts.”

Read also: Commentary: The Vladimir Putin vs Wagner Mercenary Group rivalry – 5 points on the latest Russia crisis

Moscow’s mayor declared a holiday on Monday

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin warned that parts of the city could see traffic restrictions and declared a holiday on Monday for most residents. The workers razed parts of the roads to hinder the progress of Wagner’s mercenaries. Red Square was cordoned off, two major museums were cleared and a park was closed.

Wagner Group took over Rostov

Wagner fighters, who had fought some of the bloodiest fighting in Ukraine even though they had been at loggerheads with top officials for months, were already close to the capital, having captured the city of Rostov and advancing 1,100 km (680 mi) to Moscow. ) distance was covered. , Prigozhin, who claimed to have captured the headquarters of Russia’s Southern Military District in Rostov without firing a shot, said he was close to the capital. In Rostov, which serves as the main supply base for Russia’s entire invasion force, people walked around peacefully, filming on their phones as Wagner fighters took place in armored vehicles and tanks.