The 62-year-old, whose mercenaries previously fought alongside the regular Russian army in Ukraine for months, escalated a long-simmering power struggle within the Russian military leadership last Saturday. The Wagner fighters first occupied the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and then marched on towards Moscow. Their practically unhindered advance only stopped a good 200 kilometers from the Russian capital. According to official information, Lukashenko is said to have mediated with Prigozhin on behalf of Putin and persuaded the mercenary boss to give up.
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In return, the Kremlin assured Prigozhin of impunity. On the other hand, he offered the rebellious Wagner fighters to serve in Russia’s armed forces. However, like Prigozhin, you could also travel to Belarus at your own request, it said.