Wagner Group pulls back and ends rebellion, Russian government tightens security
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The uprising of the Wagner Group in Russia has seemingly come to an end but it has trashed Russian President Putin's image.
The mercenaries were training their rifles at the Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, the southern Russian city key to the invasion of Ukraine. The group was also key to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
International media is now questioning Putin's grip on power. The Observer wrote that the mutiny has left Putin at his weakest in decades.
On Friday, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, released a series of audio and video messages in which he criticised the Russian military for its performance in the war in Ukraine. He also called for an armed rebellion against the Russian government.
In response, the Russian government accused Prigozhin of treason and threatened to punish him and his supporters.
On Saturday, Prigozhin and his supporters reportedly marched on the city of Rostov-on-Don, where the Wagner Group is headquartered, and took control of several government buildings and military facilities. However, the rebellion was short-lived. Today, Prigozhin and his supporters reportedly fled Rostov-on-Don after Russian security forces surrounded the city.
It is unclear what will happen to Prigozhin and his supporters now. However, the Russian government has said that they will be punished for their actions. The Russian military has been deployed to Rostov-on-Don to help restore order.