Wagner forces withdraw from Rostov, Prigozhin will move to Belarus

The Wagner group, a Russian paramilitary organisation led by Yevgeny Prigozhin has ordered his mercenaries to halt their march on Moscow and retreat to their field camps in Ukraine to avoid shedding Russian blood. The powerful mercenary group Wagner on Sunday left the occupied Russian city Rostov  a day after threatening to overthrow the government. "A Wagner column left Rostov and headed to their field camps," governor Vasily Golubev said on Telegram.

Wagner convoy leaving #Rostov. #Zelensky's office disappointed with #Prigozhin's decision to withdraw forces. #Moscow #Wagner #RussiaCivilWar pic.twitter.com/0rdv08JYa7

— anuj kumar singh (@sanuj42) June 25, 2023

On Saturday, the mercenaries had seized control of a key military base in the city. People gathered on the streets of Rostov to say goodbye to the Wagner Group.

Now Putin….. This isn’t just Putin’s war…

Russians gathering on the streets of Rostov to say goodbye to the Wagner Group, treating them like rockstars.#RussiaCivilWar #Moscow #Wagner #RussiaIsCollapsing #Prigozhin #Rostov #Russia pic.twitter.com/grswLiFSwi

— Dev (@riteshdevseth) June 25, 2023

Meanwhile , talking to a journalist Russian president Putin catagorically said ," he will not forgive betraval"

Journalist: “Are you able to forgive?”
Putin: “Yes, but not everything.”
Journalist: “What is impossible to forgive?”
Putin: “Betrayal”#RussianCivilWar #Moscow #Wagner #Putin #Russia pic.twitter.com/3hMBPrTb3N

— uzii (@uziihashmi_) June 25, 2023

The tide shifted suddenly on Saturday evening when Prigozhin made the stunning announcement that his troops were "turning our columns around and going back to field camps" to avoid bloodshed in the Russian capital.

All road traffic restrictions imposed over the Wagner crisis on Saturday have now been lifted, Russia’s the Federal Road Agency (Rosavtodor) told TASS. As per media reports, the Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has agreed to leave Russia for Belarus, the Kremlin said Saturday, in a deal apparently brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that ends an armed insurrection. 

In a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said an agreement was struck with Prigozhin. “You will ask me what will happen to Prigozhin personally?” Peskov said. “The criminal case will be dropped against him. He himself will go to Belarus.” Peskov added that the Kremlin was unaware of the mercenary’s current whereabouts.The government also said it would not prosecute Wagner fighters who took part, while those who did not join in were to be offered contracts by the Defense Ministry. 

(Ira Singh is the Asstt Editor}