ROSTOV-ON-DON (Russia): In a surprising development, heavily armed Russian mercenaries, who had made significant progress towards Moscow, have now started to retreat, marking a de-escalation of the major challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s authority. The leader of the mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former Putin ally and founder of the Wagner army, stated that this decision was made to avoid bloodshed.
According to Prigozhin, his forces had advanced to within 125 miles (200 km) of the capital. Earlier, in anticipation of their arrival, Moscow had deployed soldiers and advised residents to stay indoors. Videos showed the Wagner fighters capturing the city of Rostov, located hundreds of miles to the south, and swiftly moving through the country in a convoy of tanks and armoured trucks, effortlessly breaking through barricades set up to impede their progress.
On Saturday night, eyewitnesses reported observing the Wagner fighters loading tanks onto trailers as they began their withdrawal from the Rostov military headquarters they had previously seized. Reuters was unable to independently verify the exact distance the mercenaries had reached, but earlier video footage had shown their convoys less than 310 miles (500 km) away from Moscow.
The administration of Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko said that the decision to halt the Wagner fighters’ advance was made by Lukashenko personally, with Putin’s consent. The agreement was purportedly struck in exchange for assurances of the mercenaries’ protection. Under the terms of the deal, Prigozhin will relocate to Belarus, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Peskov further indicated that Lukashenko volunteered to intervene because of his personal relationship with Prigozhin, which lasted around two decades.
This unexpected turn of events has provided significant relief to Putin’s grip on power, as it has averted a potentially violent confrontation with the advancing mercenaries. The retreat of the Wagner fighters allows for a return to relative stability, although questions remain about the motivations behind their initial advance and the implications of their retreat.
Discussion about this post