Mutiny Leaders Will Face Justice, Putin Vows

Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to mete out justice to those who orchestrated the Wagner Group’s rebellion against the federation.

Putin spoke on Monday confirming reports that Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the mercenary group, would face charges despite a previous “pardon” by the Russian government.

On Sunday, after leading his troops halfway to Moscow, the Russian capital, Prigozhin asked them to retreat and return to base to avoid spilling blood.

The Wagner leader was on his way to topple the country’s military leaders and exact revenge for their ambush which killed “scores of his men”.

Putin said Prigozhin’s actions were a “stab in the back”, adding that Russia would take “brutal” actions to eliminate the threat that the Wagner group had become.

Prior to his announcements, criminal charges against the Wagner leader who was a former ally of Putin, for organising an armed mutiny were filed by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

However, after his retreat, Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, said Prigozhin’s charges would be dropped and that he would move to Belarus.

Peskov said the conditions were part of a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to end the Wagner rebellion.

In a turn of events on Monday, TASS, Russian-state media, reported that a source in the prosecutor general’s office said the investigation against the Wagner leader has not been closed, adding that it was too soon to make such a decision.