Wagner chief halts march on Moscow to avoid ‘shedding Russian blood’

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The head of Wagner force said he has told his troops to stop their march on Moscow and instead withdraw to their field camps in Ukraine in a bid to avoid shedding Russian blood.Yevgeny Prigozhin's announcement appeared to attempt to defuse a growing crisis as Moscow had apparently braced for the arrival of the rebellious commander's private army.

President Vladimir Putin had vowed he would face harsh consequences.Mr Prigozhin said while his men are just 120 miles from Moscow, he decided to turn them back to avoid “shedding Russian blood”.

He did not say whether the Kremlin has responded to his demand to oust Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.The announcement follows a statement from the office of Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko saying he had negotiated a deal with Mr Prigozhin after previously discussing the issue with Mr Putin.Mr Prigozhin has accepted Mr Lukashenko’s offer to halt the Wagner group’s advance and further steps to de-escalate the tensions, Mr Lukashenko’s office said, adding that the proposed settlement contains security guarantees for Wagner troops.Mr Prigozhin’s actions had represented the most significant challenge to Mr Putin’s leadership in his more than two decades in power.

In a televised speech to the nation, Mr Putin called the rebellion a “betrayal” and “treason”.“All those who prepared the rebellion will suffer inevitable punishment,” Mr Putin said. “The armed forces and other government agencies have received the necessary orders.”Authorities declared a “counter-terrorist regime” in the capital and its surrounding region, enhancing security and restricting some movement.