Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner group, stated on Saturday that his fighters made the decision to turn back from their march towards Moscow, approximately 200 kilometers (124 miles) away, in order to avoid bloodshed.
In a Telegram statement, Prigozhin explained that the Russian authorities sought to disband his group, prompting their decision to embark on the “March of Justice.”
“We set off on June 23rd… In just one day, we covered such a distance that we were only 200 kilometers away from Moscow. During this time, not a single drop of our fighters’ blood was shed,” he declared.
“Now we have reached a critical moment where bloodshed is possible. Considering the responsibility of Russian blood being spilled on either side, we have decided to turn our columns around and return to the field camps as planned,” Prigozhin conveyed in an audio message.
Separately, Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko disclosed that he had engaged in discussions with Prigozhin throughout the day, resulting in an agreement to de-escalate the situation.
“This morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin briefed his Belarusian counterpart on the situation in southern Russia involving the private military company Wagner. The heads of state agreed on joint actions,” stated Lukashenko’s press service.
“In line with the agreements, the President of Belarus, following further clarification of the situation through his own channels and in coordination with the President of Russia, held talks with the head of the Wagner private military company, Yevgeny Prigozhin,” the statement continued.
As a result, both sides agreed on “the unacceptable nature of inciting a violent conflict on Russian territory.”
“Yevgeny Prigozhin accepted the proposal of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to halt the movement of armed personnel from the Wagner company within Russian territory and to take further steps towards de-escalation,” the statement affirmed.
Furthermore, it emphasized that there was a mutually beneficial and acceptable solution on the table, which included security guarantees for the fighters of the Wagner private military company.
(With inputs from agencies)
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