One of Russia's most serious security crises has begun to be resolved with an agreement for the leader of the rebel Wagner mercenary forces to leave Russia, who will not face charges, and his forces are withdrawing from southern Russian cities and halting their march on Moscow.
Yevgeny Prigozhin called off the movement of his forces towards Moscow after it was agreed to go to Belarus, and his forces will not be sanctioned for the rebellion either.
Prigozhin, a former Putin ally and founder of the Wagner Group, said his men had arrived less than 200 kilometers from the capital on Saturday.
"In 24 hours we arrived 200 kilometers from Moscow. During that time, we did not shed a single drop of the blood of our fighters," said Prigozhin, dressed in full combat gear, in a video shot at an unknown location.
"Realizing ... that Russian blood will be spilled, we are turning our columns and returning to the field camps as planned," he added.
The Kremlin announced that they do not know what Prigozhin, who made billions in dealings with the Russian state, will be doing in Belarus, reports N1.
Dramatic day
Boss Wagner Prigozhin's clash with Russia's military leadership came to a violent climax on Saturday when his forces seized a key military headquarters in southern Russia and then moved north to threaten the capital.
Hours later, the Kremlin announced that he would go to Belarus and that Russia would not prosecute him or the members of the group.
It was a dramatic day, with President Vladimir Putin warning of the danger of civil war, Moscow advising residents to stay off the streets and Kiev reveling in the chaos that engulfed the enemy.
In the early hours of Sunday, Wagner withdrew fighters and equipment from Rostov-on-Don, where they had previously seized the military headquarters, the regional governor said.
But before they left, dozens of residents cheered and chanted “Wagner! Wagner!” in front of the military headquarters they occupied.
Traffic restrictions remain in force for Moscow
Traffic restrictions remained on the main M-4 "Don" highway in the Moscow and Tula regions on Sunday, the Federal Road Agency announced on the Telegram messaging application.
Authorities in the southern Lipetsk region announced the lifting of restrictions after earlier reports of Wagner fighters in their area, where the local capital is just 420 kilometers south of Moscow.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said that he negotiated a truce with Prigozhin, whom he has known personally for 20 years, for which Moscow thanked him.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later told reporters that "the criminal case against him (Prigozhin) will be dropped. He will go to Belarus himself."
Peskov also said that Wagner members who participated in what authorities called an "armed rebellion" would not be prosecuted.
"Avoiding bloodshed, internal conflict and conflict with an unpredictable outcome was the most important goal," Peskov added.
Peskov also said he was not aware of any change in President Vladimir Putin's attitude toward Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, whose departure Prigozhin had sought.
How they reacted in Ukraine
Kiev reveled in the chaos that had engulfed its enemy.
"Prigozhin humiliated Putin, the state and showed that he no longer has a monopoly on violence," said Mihajlo Podoljak, assistant to the president, on Twitter.
While Russia says the uprising has had no impact on its "operation" in Ukraine, Kiev has said the unrest has offered a "window of opportunity" as it mounts a long-awaited counter-offensive.
The United States and its allies refrained from commenting as officials waited to see how the rebellion unfolded.
US President Joseph Biden has spoken to the leaders of France, Germany and Britain amid concerns that Putin's grip on the nuclear-armed country could slip.
Before Prigozhin's fall, Russian regular forces launched what the regional governor called an "anti-terrorist operation" to stop Wagner's advance north along the main highway to Moscow.
Security in Moscow increased
In the capital, the mayor urged Muscovites to stay indoors and declared Monday a non-working day. That measure remained in force even after the agreement on Prigogine's departure.
Security has been increased in the center of the city, and armed men in bulletproof vests are guarding the parliament building. Red Square is closed to the public.
"I don't know how to react. In any case, it's very sad that this is happening," 35-year-old Jelena told AFP.
Responding to the challenge in a televised address on Saturday, Putin accused Prigozhin of a "stab in the back" that poses a threat to the very survival of Russia.
"All internal turmoil is a deadly threat to our statehood and to us as a nation. This is a blow to Russia and our people," Putin said, calling for national unity.
"Huge ambitions and personal interests led to betrayal," Putin said, referring to Prigozhin, who began building his power base as a restaurateur.
Another Putin ally, Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, said he had sent troops to help put down Wagner's rebellion.
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