In a significant development following the failed mutiny led by the Wagner Group, President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with 35 Wagner commanders in Moscow. The invitation was extended to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the mercenary group, among others. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that President Putin provided an “assessment” of the ongoing war effort in Ukraine, as well as the recent mutiny. The rebellion, which began on June 23, was short-lived, lasting only 24 hours. As part of the agreement to quell the mutiny, which involved Wagner troops seizing a city and marching towards Moscow, charges against Prigozhin were dropped, and he was offered relocation to Belarus.
Previously, public disagreements had surfaced between Wagner and Russia’s Ministry of Defense regarding the conduct of the war, with Prigozhin accusing the ministry of failing to provide sufficient ammunition to his group. Peskov stated that Prigozhin was among the commanders who attended the Kremlin meeting five days after the collapse of the mutiny. According to reports, President Putin evaluated the company’s actions on the front lines and also assessed the events of June 24. Prigozhin reportedly expressed unconditional support for Putin during the meeting.
The current whereabouts of Prigozhin remain unknown, although Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, who brokered the deal to end the mutiny, claimed that Prigozhin was in Russia. The BBC had previously tracked Prigozhin’s private jet flying to Belarus in late June and returning to Russia on the same evening. The Wagner Group, a private army that has been fighting alongside the regular Russian forces in Ukraine since the invasion last year, has faced setbacks on the battlefield.
Prigozhin publicly criticized the high command, particularly Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, the two key figures overseeing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While Prigozhin did not directly condemn President Putin during the mutiny, analysts viewed it as the most significant challenge to Putin’s authority in his more than two-decade-long rule. In the midst of speculations that Wagner’s march was canceled in exchange for Gerasimov’s removal, footage aired on Russian TV showed the general issuing orders to attack Ukrainian missile sites.
This suggests that both Shoigu and Gerasimov have retained their positions, as Putin is seen to have maintained confidence in them. As the situation continues to unfold, the meeting between Putin and Wagner commanders marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing Ukraine conflict and sheds light on the dynamics within the Russian military command structure.