27-6-2023 (MOSCOW) Russia is preparing to take control of the heavy military equipment held by the private military company Wagner, as the country seeks to bring the group under its authority following the recent mutiny. The uprising, which occurred over the weekend, resulted in Russia facing one of its most significant security crises in decades, raising concerns about President Vladimir Putin’s hold on power amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, was expected to travel to Belarus as part of a deal to defuse the confrontation. On Tuesday, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that the criminal case against Wagner’s troops had been closed.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that preparations were underway for the transfer of heavy military equipment from Wagner to units of the Russian armed forces.
In his first national address since the rebels withdrew, President Putin accused Ukraine and its Western allies of wanting Russians to “kill each other.” Putin emphasized that he had issued orders to avoid bloodshed and granted amnesty to the Wagner fighters.
Earlier, Prigozhin had defended the mutiny as an attempt to save his mercenary group and expose the failures of Russia’s military leadership, but not to challenge the Kremlin.
As Russian officials sought to restore a sense of normalcy, Prigozhin released an audio message, claiming that the purpose of the revolt was to prevent the dismantling of Wagner and to highlight “serious security problems” by demonstrating their protest. He boasted that his men had effectively blocked military infrastructure, including air bases, along their route before halting their advance just 200 kilometers from Moscow.
The sequence of events on Saturday has been regarded internationally as Russia’s most significant security crisis in decades. According to Russian military bloggers, Wagner shot down six Russian helicopters and a command and control plane during their advance.
