Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in Russia, claims president of Belarus as Kremlin refuses comment
The mercenary leader who led a short-lived mutiny against the Kremlin is in Russia and his Wagner troops are in their field camps, the president of Belarus has said.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s claim could not be independently verified, and the Kremlin refused to comment on Yevgeny Prigozhin’s whereabouts.
Mr Lukashenko’s comments raise new questions about the deal that ended the extraordinary challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s rule. It was not clear if travelling to Russia would violate the deal, which allowed the Wagner chief to move to Belarus in exchange for ending the rebellion and a promise of amnesty.
Last week, Mr Lukashenko said the mercenary leader was in Belarus. Russian media later reported he was seen at his offices in St Petersburg, a sign that the deal may have allowed him to finalise his affairs in Russia.
On Thursday, Mr Lukashenko told international reporters that the mercenary leader was in St Petersburg and Wagner’s troops were in their camps. He did not specify the location of the camps, but Mr Prigozhin's mercenaries fought alongside Russian forces in eastern Ukraine before their revolt and also have bases on the Russian territory.
Asked about where
Mr Prigozhin is, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment, but reaffirmed that the deal envisaged his move to Belarus. Asked if Mr Prigozhin would eventually move to Belarus, Mr Lukashenko answered that it would depend on the decisions of the Wagner chief and the Russian government.