The leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and other Russian mercenaries are already in Belarus, following the failed armed rebellion in Russia last week, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko revealed on Tuesday.
“Security guarantees were given, as promised by the [Presidente russo] Vladimir Putin. (…) Yes, indeed, today he is in Belarus,” Lukashenko said at a military ceremony, quoted by the official BelTA news agency.
The exile in Belarus of the 62-year-old owner of the Wagner Group had already been announced by the Kremlin as part of the agreement that put an end to the brief armed mutiny in Russia, aborted on Saturday when a column of mercenaries was already there. about 200 kilometers from the Moscow province.
Prigozhin and some of his troops would be welcome to stay in Belarus “for some time” at their own expense, Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
Russian authorities announced on Tuesday that they had closed a criminal investigation into the armed uprising and that no charges would be brought against Prigozhin or his troops after the deal was reached.
Source: TSF
