Russian President Vladimir Putin has revealed that he offered the Wagner Group mercenaries the opportunity to continue fighting in Ukraine, but under the leadership of a different commander.
Putin's proposal, made during a meeting with the mercenaries on June 29, was swiftly dismissed by their chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who claimed that "the boys won't agree with such a decision."
In an interview with Russia's top business newspaper Kommersant, Putin also made the bizarre claim that the Wagner Group, which played a key role in the seizure of the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, "doesn't exist." This is the first time Putin has offered his account of what transpired after the Wagner Group's failed rebellion, which aimed to overthrow Russia's military leaders due to their handling of the war in Ukraine.
Five days after Prigozhin agreed to stand down as part of a hastily negotiated peace agreement with the Russian government, he and 34 Wagner commanders were summoned to the Kremlin for a meeting with Putin. The Russian president praised the actions of the Wagner fighters in Ukraine, denounced their involvement in the uprising, and offered them opportunities for future service, on the condition that Prigozhin would not be involved.
One option proposed by Putin was for the mercenaries to continue serving under the same senior commander, known as "Sedoi" or "Gray Hair," who had been leading the private army in Ukraine for the past 16 months. Sedoi, whose real name is Andrei Troshev, is a decorated veteran of Russia's wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya.
According to Putin, many Wagner troops in attendance nodded in agreement at his proposal, but Prigozhin quickly vetoed the idea, stating that "the boys won't agree with such a decision." It is unclear what proposal the mercenaries ultimately accepted, if any. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later stated that the Wagner troops pledged their loyalty to Putin during the meeting and expressed their readiness to continue fighting for their homeland.
When asked about the future of the Wagner Group, Putin responded by saying, "But Wagner does not exist. There is no law on private military organizations. It just doesn't exist." The Kremlin later added to the confusion by stating that there was no legal entity named Wagner and that the legal status of such companies needed further consideration.
The fate of Yevgeny Prigozhin remains a mystery following the failed uprising. Under the truce brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin was supposed to go into exile in Belarus along with his troops. However, Lukashenko recently stated that Prigozhin had returned to Russia.
Belarusian state TV aired footage of Wagner instructors training Belarusian territorial defense forces at a firing range near Asipovichy, where a camp offered to Wagner is located. Reports suggest that Prigozhin spent a night at the camp earlier this week. The Belarusian Defense Ministry has not disclosed the number of Wagner troops present in Belarus.
There have been conflicting reports about Prigozhin's whereabouts. Russian news outlets claimed that the 62-year-old was in St. Petersburg, where he was allegedly seen at the beginning of the month visiting the FSB security service's office to collect his previously confiscated arsenal of weapons.
U.S. President Joe Biden commented on the uncertainty surrounding Prigozhin's location, jokingly suggesting that the mercenary chief should be cautious about what he eats. Biden stated, "If I were he, I'd be careful what I ate. I'd be keeping my eye on my menu." However, he acknowledged that the future of Prigozhin in Russia remains uncertain.
Retired Gen. Robert Abrams expressed his belief that Prigozhin is either dead or in jail, stating, "My personal assessment is that I doubt we'll see Prigozhin ever again publicly. I think he'll either be put in hiding, or sent to prison, or dealt with some other way, but I doubt we'll ever see him again."
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