Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russian mercenaries Wagner, said on Saturday that his forces headed for Moscow would now turn back to Ukraine to avoid spilling Russian blood.
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s announcement appeared to dramatically downplay the growing crisis, the most significant challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s leadership in more than two decades in power.
Prigozhin said that when his men were just 200 kilometers (120 mi) from Moscow, he decided to send them back to avoid “shedding Russian blood”. In a televised address to the nation, Putin called the rebellion “betrayal” and “treason”.
Putin said, “All those who prepared the rebellion will face inevitable punishment.” “Necessary orders have been received by the armed forces and other government agencies. Authorities declared an “anti-terrorist regime” in the capital and its surrounding region, beefing up security and restricting some movement.
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