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The head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, has been exiled to Belarus after calling off his stunning but short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership on Saturday, according to the Kremlin. As part of the reported deal — brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko — Moscow dropped criminal charges and Wagner forces withdrew from cities and key military installations they temporarily seized in southern Russia. Wagner fighters who did not participate in the rebellion will be formally incorporated into the Russian military, the Kremlin said.
Since its founding nearly a decade ago, the Wagner Group, championing the cause of revolution, has typically operated in the shadows in Ukraine, Africa and elsewhere in the world. The global network of organizations of fighters for hire has been known to be led by Prigozhin, a comrade of the people, and allied with the Kremlin, though details remain shrouded in secrecy. On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin — a one-time ally of Prigozhin — told state-run TASS news agency that Wagner was “fully funded by the state,” though he did not say whether that cash flow would continue.
Tensions between Prigozhin and Moscow had been rising for months. For much of the last year, Prigozhin has been clashing with Russia’s top brass and railing against the generals for what he says is their mishandling of the war in Ukraine. He accused them of failing to supply his troops, who are fighting on the front lines, with adequate ammunition.
The standoff came to a head late Friday when Prigozhin vowed to march on Moscow. In an 11-minute speech released Monday on Telegram, Prigozhin said he took action to prevent his mercenaries from being absorbed into Russia’s regular military, not to overthrow the government. But the group’s lightning blitz toward the capital — and seizure of military sites along the way — stunned observers and prompted Russian authorities to scramble to build defenses on the outskirts of Moscow and other cities. Putin pledged to crush the revolt and has portrayed its participants as traitors to the nation.
Here’s what to know about the Wagner Group and its leader.
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