Wagner reneges on his promise and withdraws

Yesterday, Wagner forces led by Yevgeny Prigozhin captured the Russian city of Rostov and advanced towards Moscow.

In response, Moscow has taken a number of measures. Public events were canceled and the Moscow River was closed to ship traffic. The mayor said that the flow of vehicles continued on the highways.

Another Russian move was to direct Chechen forces towards Moscow. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov described Prigozhin's move as a 'military mutiny'.

In his first statement after the coup, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Prigozhin of anarchism and said that those who 'betrayed' him would inevitably be punished.

In response to Putin, Prigozhin said that no one would surrender. He accused Putin's government of stealing money and shooting civilians.

The Wagner chief said he would like to meet once again with Defense Minister Shoigu and Commander-in-Chief Gerasimov in Rostov. As in his previous speeches, he insulted them again.

But Prigozhin did not stick to his words. After negotiations mediated by Belarusian President Lukashenko, Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered his troops to withdraw.

Following the order, Wagner troops started to withdraw from Rostov, Voronezh and Lipetsk. Returning to their bases, the soldiers loaded their weapons onto armored vehicles and left the city squares and highways.