Russian authorities have closed a criminal investigation into the aborted armed rebellion led by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, and are pressing no charges against him or his troops.
abc.net.au/news/ukraine-belarus-russia-prigozhin-lukashenko-putin/102532604The founder of Russia's mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has arrived in Belarus and is welcome to stay "for some time", President Alexander Lukashenko says.
It was the latest twist in a series of stunning events that brought the gravest threat so far to President Vladimir Putin's grip on power amid the 16-month-old war in Ukraine. "We offered them one of the abandoned military bases. Please — we have a fence, we have everything — put up your tents," Mr Lukashenko said.
Mr Lukashenko framed the insurrection as a significant threat, saying he put Belarus's armed forces on a combat footing as the mutiny unfolded. Wagner mercenaries shot down at least six Russian helicopters and a military communications plane as they advanced on Moscow, according to Russian news reports.The Defence Ministry didn't release any information about casualties, but media reports said at least a dozen airmen were killed.
General Zolotov also said the National Guard had lacked battle tanks and other heavy weapons, but would now get them.In a nationally televised address on Monday night, Mr Putin again blasted the organisers of the rebellion as traitors who played into the hands of Ukraine's government and its allies.
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