The head of the Wagner group will leave for Belarus and charges against his mercenaries will be dropped following their rebellion, Russian state media says

Yevgeny Prigozhin told his forces to return to their bases earlier to "avoid bloodshed" after negotiations with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko

Wagner fighters have begun to leave the southern city of Rostov-on-Don where their mutiny began less than 24 hours ago, according to reports

Prigozhin had called for a rebellion against the Russian army, and his group had been advancing on Moscow

President Vladimir Putin decried Prigozhin's actions as a "betrayal" and "treason" in a TV speech, promising to punish rebels

Security was tightened in Moscow, and the mayor told residents to avoid travelling. All mass outdoor events have been cancelled until July 1

Even for seasoned Kremlin-watchers, this has been the most extraordinary 24 hours.

One moment Russia looked to be almost on the brink of civil war with Moscow’s most effective ground force, the Wagner group, rebelling in open defiance of the Kremlin.

The next, it all appeared to be over with the renegade mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin backing down and withdrawing his forces after a phone call from the Belarus leader.

What exactly was said in that phone call?

We are not told, but it’s fair to assume that Prigozhin was given some home truths somewhere along the lines of: "Look, you’re on your own here, no one has come out in support for you, and if you continue on this course a lot of blood is going to be spilled, and that’s Russian blood."

Where does this leave the Wagner group? They have, after all, been a useful arms-length tool for the Kremlin for the past eight years, promoting its interests from Mali to Ukraine with scant regard for human rights.

But it’s hard to see how President Putin could ever again trust his former protege Prigozhin.

He’s accused him of treachery and betrayal and the FSB security forces consider him a criminal.

So expect purges and possibly some reshuffling in the defence ministry. And, meanwhile, the war in Ukraine will likely continue unabated. For the hard-pressed Ukrainian troops on the front line, the intermission is over. (BBC)

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