Russia won’t say where Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is, but photos purportedly show his raided home
The president of Belarus said Thursday that the mercenary who led the short-lived rebellion against President Vladimir Putin is in Russia, and his troops are at their field camps. This raises new questions about the agreement that ended this extraordinary challenge.
The claim of Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko could not be independently confirmed, and the Kremlin declined to comment on Yevgeny Prgozhin, head of Wagner Group.
What is Wagner’s Prigozhin?
Russian media reported that the Wagner chief had been spotted recently at his office in St. Petersburg. However, pro-Kremlin publications published photos on Thursday that were purportedly taken in a mansion owned by Prigozhin, the second largest city in Russia.
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CBS News reported on Thursday that Prigozhin is not believed to be in Belarus, but could be in Russia.
It wasn’t clear if Prigozhin’s presence in Russia would be in violation of the deal. The agreement allowed the Wagner Group’s military contractor, the Wagner Group’s head, to move to Belarus as long as he ended his rebellion. He and his soldiers were also promised amnesty. Reports indicated that the agreement could have allowed him and his troops to complete their affairs in Russia.
If this is true, it may indicate that Prigozhin’s threat has not been completely defused yet and that the Kremlin continues to tread carefully until it can decide what to do about troops that are still loyal to him. Putin said Wagner troops could join the Russian military or retire. They can also move to Belarus.
The agreement brokered by Lukashenko is still a mystery.
Lukashenko claimed last week that the mercenary commander was in Belarus. However, he said to international reporters on Thursday that Prigozhin is in St. Petersburg, and can travel to Moscow if he wishes. Wagner’s soldiers are in their camps. Lukashenko did not mention the locations of the camps. However, Prigozhin’s mercenaries fought with Russian forces in Eastern Ukraine before their uprising and have bases on Russian soil.
He said that Prigozhin had also been returned the money and weapons confiscated by Russian authorities.
Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, shrugged the question off, saying that the Kremlin neither has the desire nor means to track Prigozhin’s movements. However, he reaffirmed the fact that the agreement that ended the mutiny included Prigozhin moving to Belarus.
Lukashenko stated that his government had offered Wagner – which sent troops to the world in order to fight for Russia’s interests, and as CBS News revealed, make money – the use of Belarusian camps, but the company hadn’t made a decision.
The Kremlin played down that Prigozhin escaped punishment while other Putin critics were met with harsh prison terms, exile, or even death. They said that the deal with Wagner chief was needed to avoid mass bloodshed.
Belarusian President Prigozhin dismissed suggestions that Putin would order Prigozhin’s death, saying that: “If you believe that Putin is so vindictive and vicious to kill him, then no, that won’t happen.”
Pictures purportedly showing Prigozhin raided house
The pro-Kremlin Russian online papers Fontanka & Izvestia posted photos and videos of Prigozhin’s opulent St. Petersburg mansion on Wednesday.
The outlets claimed that the photos were taken after a raid conducted by Russian authorities. They showed Prigozhin’s jacket covered with medals, including the Hero of Russia Medal, which is one of the highest awards in the country.
Izvestia published a series of pictures that it claimed were selfies taken Prigozhin. The photos showed him posing with various wigs, false beards, and foreign uniforms – an apparent reflection on Wagner’s deployments in Syria and other African countries.
A photograph hanging in the mansion featured a line-up of heads decapitated. A large souvenir sledgehammer with the words “for important negotiation” was also seen in a published photo. The sledgehammer is now a symbol for Wagner, after reports that its soldiers used it to beat defections to death.
Lukashenko speaks out against Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus
Lukashenko responded that the tactical nuclear weapons Russia has deployed in Belarus are meant to deter aggression. Both Putin and Lukashenko have stated that some weapons have been delivered to Belarus. The Belarusian leader confirmed Thursday that “certain numbers” of these weapons were already in Belarus and that the remainder would be delivered by the end of the year.
Lukashenko said that Russia would consult with him about any possible use or these weapons. He added that this could only be done in response to an attack by NATO against Russia and Belarus.
He said that if he didn’t like something, or if the people of his country and state did not want it, then it wouldn’t happen. “These weapons are strictly defensive,” he added.
Lukashenko warned, “Don’t try to touch us and we won’t use these deadly weapons.”
