Wagner forces relocating to Belarus were offered the opportunity to join the Russian ministry of defence, or be redeployed to Wagner's overseas operations. ![]() This intervention was invaluable to Putin, and provided Lukashenko with some rare leverage in his usually subservient relationship with the Russian leader.īut once Putin had reasserted his authority, his attention turned to Wagner and more specifically their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin.Īlthough Wagner had provided Russia rare battlefield success in the Ukraine war - most notably in seizing Bakhmut - and Putin relies on Wagner for providing invaluable revenue-generating military services in Africa and beyond, Putin had to limit the potential for any repeat coup attempt. It was the biggest challenge to Putin's authority in two decades, and he urgently needed to consolidate his power base, reassert his authority, and weed out any threats to his rule.Īn intervention by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko persuaded Prigozhin to abandon his abortive march on Moscow, and also helped Putin remove the lingering threat of Wagner by offering to host the mercenary group of fighters in Belarus. When Yevgeny Prigozhin launched his abortive coups against President Putin on 23 June, he appeared to ride a wave of popular support as his forces made their way towards Moscow.
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