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A man waves the Russian national flag as the members of Wagner group prepare to pull out from the headquarters of the Southern Military District to return to their base in Rostov-on-Don late on June 24, 2023.Â
Stringer | AFP | Getty Images
An attempted mutiny against the Russian military by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has raised questions about President Vladimir Putin’s grip on power and what could be next for the country.
Prigozhin’s private militia Wagner Group on Saturday seized control of the strategic city of Rostov and advanced an armed convoy to within 200 kilometers of Moscow.
Less than 24 hours later, the rebellion was over, and Prigozhin announced that Wagner would be turning back in order to avoid spilling Russian blood. His mercenaries in Rostov were filmed mounting their trucks and departing, to selfies and cheers from civilians.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the mutiny exposed “cracks” in Moscow, while Eurasia Group President Ian Bremmer told CNBC on Monday that despite the deal, Prigozhin is a “dead man walking.”
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brokered the deal between Prigozhin — a former close ally of Putin — and the Kremlin which brought an end to Wagner’s march to Moscow.
The agreement means criminal charges against Prigozhin and participating mercenaries will be dropped and he will relocate to Belarus, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian reporters.
The deal likely signals the end of the Wagner Group and the integration of some of its fighters into the Russian armed forces, but the brief and unprecedented insurrection marked the greatest challenge yet to Putin’s 23-year grip on power.
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