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LIVE — Wagner chief ‘humiliated’ Putin, Ukraine says
38 minutes ago38 minutes ago
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said the Wagner mercenary group had “almost nullified” Russian President Vladimir Putin. Wagner fighters are said to have left Rostov-on-Don. DW has more.
https://p.dw.com/p/4T1UO
Russian Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a car being driven by a soldier
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak says that Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin (pictured) posed a direct challenge to Putin’s authorityImage: Alexander Ermochenko/REUTERS
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak says the Kremlin has been “humiliated” by the Wagner Group
The governor of Russia’s southern Rostov region says Wagner soldiers have left
Prigozhin heading to Belarus, will not face criminal charges
This article was updated at 23:10 UTC/GMT
Putin ‘humiliated’ by Wagner — Kyiv
Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has “humiliated” Russian President Vladimir Putin, said Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“You almost nullified Putin, took control of the central authorities, reached Moscow and suddenly … you retreat,” Podolyak said in a tweet, referring to Prigozhin.
He called Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who mediated a deal between Wagner and the Kremlin, a “very specific intermediary with a dubious reputation.”
“Prigozhin humiliated Putin/the state and showed that there is no longer a monopoly on violence,” Podolyak declared.
Governor: Wagner soldiers quit Rostov-on-Don in mutiny U-turn
Wagner group fighters have left the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and are headed back to their field camps, the regional governor said.
News agencies cited witnesses as seeing tanks, cargo trucks and several minivans carrying fighters leave the city.
The private military group seized Rostov’s military headquarters earlier Saturday, from where the operations for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are run.
Russian Wagner military vehicles in Rostov-on-Don streetRussian Wagner military vehicles in Rostov-on-Don street
Wagner fighters took control of the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, but have now leftImage: Erik Romanenko/ITAR-TASS/IMAGO
In a major challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s authorities, the heavily armed Wagner fighters took control of Rostov, while some of them advanced most of the way to Moscow in a rebellion against Russia’s military establishment.
However, under a deal brokered by Belarus, Wagner fighters pulled out of Rostov in a move their leader said would avoid bloodshed and de-escalate the crisis.
Wagner boss says his troops are ‘turning back’
02:37
What happened during the Wagner-Russia crisis?
On Friday, the head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, claimed that his troops had been attacked by the Russian army.
Prigozhin also criticized the rationale behind Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying that Russian elites aimed to acquire “material assets” from the country.
Russian authorities then launched an investigation into Prigozhin for what they called a “mutiny.”
Prigozhin led his forces into Russia, taking control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and coming into conflict with Russian troops. The Wagner chief said the move was not a “military coup” but rather a “march for justice.”
Some of the Wagner members were heading towards Moscow, in a direct threat to the Russian government under Vladimir Putin.
Putin vows punishment for mutineers: political analyst Kirill Rogov speaks to DW
05:20
On Saturday, the Kremlin announced that it had reached a deal with the mercenary group. The deal was mediated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Under the terms of the deal, the Russian government would not move forward with criminal charges against Wagner members who participated in the rebellion. Prigozhin will also move to Belarus.
Prigozhin had on multiple occasions in the past criticized Russia’s military leadership for allegedly providing Wagner mercenaries in Ukraine with insufficient ammunition.
sdi/wd (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)
