Russia's Defence Ministry says Wagner mercenaries are surrendering their weapons to the military
CTV
Mercenaries of the Wagner Group are completing the handover of their weapons to the Russian military, the Defence Ministry said Wednesday, a move that follows the private army's brief rebellion last month that challenged the Kremlin's authority.
Mercenaries of the Wagner Group are completing the handover of their weapons to the Russian military, the Defence Ministry said Wednesday, a move that follows the private army's brief rebellion last month that challenged the Kremlin's authority.
The disarming of Wagner reflects efforts by authorities to defuse the threat it posed and also appears to herald an end to the mercenary group's operations on the battlefield in Ukraine.
The actions come amid continued uncertainty about the fate of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and the terms of a deal that ended the armed rebellion by offering amnesty for him and his mercenaries along with permission to move to Belarus.
Among the weapons turned over were more than 2,000 pieces of equipment, such as tanks, rocket launchers, heavy artillery and air defence systems, along with over 2,500 metric tons of munitions and more than 20,000 firearms, the Defense Ministry said.
The statement follows the Kremlin's acknowledgment Monday that Prigozhin and 34 of his top officers met with President Vladimir Putin on June 29, five days after the rebellion. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wagner's commanders pledged loyalty to Putin and that they were ready "to continue to fight for the Motherland."
Putin has said that Wagner troops had to choose whether to sign contracts with the Defence Ministry, move to Belarus or retire from service.
The Kremlin's confirmation that Putin met with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow to demand the ouster of the country's top military leaders, raised new questions about the deal that ended the rebellion.
