As the private mercenary Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny last month, which was a major challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s authority, the Russian defence ministry said that the group has handed over thousands of tonnes of weapons and ammunition to the regular army.
After announcing his march towards Moscow, Wagner’s mutiny was crushed sometime after President Putin’s address to the nation, who linked the rebellion with the Russian civil war of 1917. The leadership of Russia has geared up to bring the Wagner group under control.
According to the Russian ministry, it had re-ceived more than 2,000 pieces of equipment, including hundreds of tanks and more than 2,500 tonnes of ammunition.
The handing over of the arms suggests that the mercenary chief is abiding by the clauses of the agreement which was made between him and Kremlin officials mediated by the leader of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.
There have been claims by a retired four-star US general about Wagner chief that he is likely dead or incarcerated.
According to a retired top US general Robert Abrams, the meeting which was held on June 29 and was confirmed by the Kremlin days ago was false.
Earlier, Russian government spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Monday Prigozhin and his companions met with President Vladimir Putin who invited 35 people to the meeting which lasted for three hours.
“The only thing we can say is that the president gave his assessment of the company’s [Wagner’s] actions at the front during the Special Military Operation [in Ukraine] and also gave his assessment of the events of 24 June [the day of the mutiny],” Peskov told reporters.
He said Putin had listened to the commanders’ own explanations of what had happened and had offered them further options for employment and combat.
“The commanders outlined their version of what happened [on June 24]. They emphasised that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief. They also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Motherland,” said Peskov.
Putin has so far kept Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in place, judging by appearances by both men on state TV — rejecting Prigozhin’s appeals to sack them.
Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently said “Prigozhin’s failed coup attempt put a target on the Russian’s back.”
“I wouldn’t insure his life … Prigozhin clearly took a chance. If you’re going to take on the king, don’t do it with a Nerf bat. He did. It failed,” Pompeo said on WABC 770 AM radio’s “Cats Roundtable” show.—AFP
