Putin outlines the choices for the Wagner soldiers
In his address to the Russian citizens, President Vladimir Putin has called on members of the Wagner private military group to either sign a contract with Russia’s Defense Ministry, return home, or go to Belarus. Putin acknowledged that the majority of the Wagner group fighters are Russian patriots who were unknowingly manipulated during the armed mutiny.
He emphasized that the organizers of the rebellion had betrayed the country and that the armed uprising would have been suppressed regardless. Putin expressed gratitude towards Russian servicemen, law enforcement officers, and special services for thwarting the mutiny and fulfilling their duty. He also thanked Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for his role in mediating the resolution of the attempted rebellion.
Following accusations against the Wagner group for plotting an armed uprising, a counter-terrorist operation regime was initially implemented in Moscow, the Moscow region, and the Voronezh region. However, reports suggest that Moscow and the head of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, reached a compromise through Lukashenko’s mediation.
As a result, Russia’s National Anti-terrorism Committee announced the cancellation of the counter-terrorist operation due to the normalization of the situation in the aforementioned regions.
