Preparations are currently underway for Wagner, a private military company, to hand over its heavy military equipment, as stated by Russia’s defense ministry. This comes in the aftermath of a failed rebellion that took place on Saturday.
Russian media reports indicate that the Federal Security Service (FSB) has closed the criminal case against the mutineers from Wagner.
Fighters associated with Wagner have been given three options: they can choose to join the Russian military, return to their families, or relocate to Belarus.
During an address to military personnel on Tuesday, President Putin praised their efforts in “halting a civil war” and called for a minute of silence to honor pilots who lost their lives in clashes with Wagner troops.
Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, stated on Monday that the short-lived rebellion was in response to government plans to assume direct control over the mercenary group. He later agreed to leave Russia for Belarus after calling off his troops. On Tuesday, a plane connected to Prigozhin landed in the capital city of Minsk.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, also in Minsk, described the mutiny as “painful to watch” and stated that he had ordered his country’s army to be “combat ready” during the incident.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that the counter-offensive had made progress on all fronts.