The criminal investigation into a popular mercenary leader and thousands of his troops was formally closed Tuesday in the wake of their 36-hour armed revolt Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged brought his country to the brink of “civil war.”
The Federal Security Service said the case won’t be pursued because Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner Group fighters “ceased (criminal) activities,” ending an insurgency that revealed deep cracks in Putin’s authoritarian rule.
“Taking into account this and other circumstances relevant to the investigation, the investigative authority issued a resolution to terminate the criminal case on June 27,” the FSB statement said.
Prigozhin halted his march to Moscow on Saturday after the Kremlin agreed not to pursue charges against him or his followers. The FSB announcement came hours after Putin addressed his nation, calling the perpetrators of the uprising “traitors” and “enemies of Russia.”
Earlier Monday, Prigozhin issued his own statement claiming he halted his campaign because he didn’t want to spill Russian blood and because the goal was protest, not regime change. Prigozhin, under terms of the deal with the Kremlin, was allowed to leave Russia for neighboring Belarus.
Putin highlights unity against rebellion, blames Wagner leader Prigozhin: Live updates
Developments:
∙The media outlet Belarusian Hajun tweeted Tuesday that Prigozhin’s business jet landed at Machulishchy military airfield near the Belarusian capital of Minsk.
∙Heavy equipment from Prigozhin’s Wagner Group is being transferred to the Russian military, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday. It was not immediately clear what role Prigozhin’s troops, thought to number up to 50,000, will play in the war going forward.
Will Vladimir Putin keep his grip on power? Coup attempt dials up pressure over Ukraine war
Putin credits military with stopping ‘chaos’
Russia’s military and law enforcement agencies took steps in the crucial hours of the insurgency, saving the country from civil war, Russian President Vladimir Putin told soldiers and other law enforcement personnel Tuesday. The honorees “stood in the way of disorder, which would have inevitably led to chaos,” Putin said.
“You saved our homeland from turmoil, and actually stopped civil war,” Putin told soldiers gathered in the Kremlin’s Cathedral Square. “In a dramatic situation you acted clearly and coherently, proved your loyalty to the people of Russia and the military oath and displayed responsibility for the fate of the Motherland and its future.”
He also called for a moment of silence to “honor the memory” of more than a dozen pilots and others who were killed in the uprising. Prigozhin said his troops were attacked by planes and helicopters, a claim the Kremlin has denied.
