Criminal proceedings dropped against Wagner boss Prigozhin

Russian prosecutors have dropped criminal proceedings launched against the leader of the mercenary Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, over his forces' armed advance on Moscow, according to state media.

In view of the end of the "criminal acts," the case initiated on Friday at the Kremlin's orders was discontinued, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Tuesday, citing the country's FSB domestic intelligence service.

According to President Vladimir Putin, pilots who attacked the Wagner column as it approached Moscow were killed in the events on Saturday. Several helicopters and a plane were shot down.

Prigozhin called off the one-day uprising on Saturday after talks reportedly mediated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

In his own words, Prigozhin took the decision to turn back 200 kilometres from the Russian capital in order to prevent bloodshed among Russian servicemen.

Wagner private military company units that had occupied the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, amid an escalation of a long-simmering power struggle between the Wagner chief and the military leadership in Moscow, were also withdrawn from there.

Referring to the participating mercenaries as "traitors," Putin confirmed on Monday evening that his disgraced ex-confidante Prigozhin could find refuge in Belarus with his fighters. It was initially unclear whether Prigozhin was already in the neighbouring country that also borders Ukraine.

Putin offered loyal Wagner troops the chance to conclude contracts with the Russian Defence Ministry. However, the masterminds of the uprising would face their "inevitable punishment," the president had initially pledged in a speech on Saturday.

That the Kremlin later declared that the rebels would not face consequences for their actions caused broad astonishment in Russia, where even critics of Putin's war against Ukraine risk many years in prison. Commentators interpreted Putin's concessions to Wagner as weakness on the part of the Kremlin leader.