Extract from ABC News
Mutinous Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin says he had ordered his fighters, who had been advancing on Moscow, to turn around and return to their bases in order to avoid bloodshed.
Key points:
- Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that he had brokered a deal with the Wagner chief
- A politician said Wagner mercenaries had been promised an amnesty if they lay down their weapons
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Wagner mutiny exposed "complete chaos" within Russia
In audio released by his press service, Mr Prigozhin said his fighters had advanced to within 200 kilometres of Moscow in 24 hours.
"They wanted to disband the Wagner military company. We embarked on a march of justice on June 23," he said.
"Now the moment has come when blood could be spilled. Understanding responsibility [for the chance] that Russian blood will be spilled on one side, we are turning our columns around and going back to field camps as planned."
Mr Prigozhin had earlier said he wanted to oust the army's top brass and "restore justice".
He did not say whether Moscow had responded to his demand to oust Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin.
The fighters of the Wagner private army were already most of the way to the capital, having captured the city of Rostov-on-Don and set off on a 1,100-kilometre race to Moscow.
Belarusian president conducts negotiation
The announcement followed a statement from the office of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, saying that he had spoken to Mr Prigozhin with Mr Putin's approval, and that the head of the Wagner militia had agreed to de-escalate the situation.
"Negotiations continued throughout the day. As a result, they came to agreements on the inadmissibility of unleashing a bloody massacre on the territory of Russia," the statement read.
The announcement, carried on the official Telegram channel of the Belarusian presidency, said Mr Prigozhin had agreed to halt the further movement of Wagner fighters across Russia.
Mr Lukashenko is a close ally of Mr Putin. The Belarusian border with Ukraine was an entry point to Ukraine for Mr Putin's troops when the war began in February 2022.
Earlier, a politician said Wagner mercenaries had been promised an amnesty if they lay down their weapons but they needed to act fast, according to the TASS news agency.
"Wagner fighters can still lay down their arms and avoid punishment given their achievements during the special military operation [in Ukraine], but they should do it fast," TASS cited the politician, Pavel Krasheninnikov, as saying.
Facing the first serious challenge to his grip on power of his 23-year rule, President Vladimir Putin had vowed to crush the armed mutiny he compared to Russia's Civil War a century ago.
In a televised speech to the nation, Mr Putin called the rebellion a “betrayal” and “treason”.
A source close to the leadership in the Russian-held part of Ukraine's Donetsk province said the convoy nearing Moscow had about 5,000 fighters, with a similar number in Rostov.
Overall, Wagner has fewer than 25,000 men at its disposal, said the source, who has proved reliable in the past.
Moscow ups security
Authorities declared a "counterterrorist regime" in the Russian capital and its surrounding region, enhancing security and restricting some movement.
On the southern outskirts, troops erected checkpoints, arranged sandbags and set up machine guns.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin warned that traffic could be restricted in parts of the capital and declared Monday a non-working day for most residents.
Crews dug up sections of highways to slow the march of the Wagner mercenary army.
Access to Red Square was closed, two major museums were evacuated and a park was shut.
Mr Prigozhin's private army appeared to control the military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a city south of Moscow that runs Russian operations in Ukraine.
Wagner troops and equipment were also in Lipetsk province, about 360 kilometres south of Moscow.
Zelenskyy comments on Wagner mutiny
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday that a revolt by Wagner mercenary troops in Russia exposed complete chaos in the country.
"Today the world can see that the masters of Russia control nothing. And that means nothing," Mr Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address.
"Simply complete chaos. An absence of any predictability,"
Mr Zelenskyy said Ukrainians would not be silent, would not remain inactive, and that "the security of Europe's eastern flank depends strictly on our defences".
And addressing Mr Putin while switching from Ukrainian into Russian, Mr Zelenskyy said: "The longer your troops remain on Ukrainian land, the greater the devastation they will bring to Russia."
Western capitals said they were closely following the situation in nuclear-armed Russia.
US President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of France, Germany and Britain, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to counterparts from G7 nations.
The insurrection risked leaving Russia's invasion force in Ukraine in disarray, just as Kyiv is launching its strongest counteroffensive since the war began in February last year.
"This represents the most significant challenge to the Russian state in recent times," Britain's Defence Ministry said.
ABC/wires
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