Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin heads into Belarus exile
This video grab taken from handout footage posted May 25, 2023, on the Telegram account of the press service of Concord - a company linked to Russian mercenary Wagner group, shows Yevgeny Prigozhin speaking from Bakhmut. PHOTO | AFP
Belarus prepared to welcome rebel Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin into exile on Tuesday as Russia's President Vladimir Putin sought to shore up his authority by thanking regular troops for averting civil war.
As Russia announced preparations to disarm Wagner's mercenaries, Putin's supporters were insisting his rule was not weakened by the revolt widely seen as the biggest threat to Kremlin authority since he came to power.
