Russia's Federal Security Service said it had closed the criminal case over Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin's armed rebellion on June 27, as cited by Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the transfer of Wagner Group's military equipment to the units of Russia's regular army, the Russian Defense Ministry said, according to the news outlet.
Prigozhin launched a "march for justice" against Russian military leaders on June 23 after a missile attack allegedly targeted Wagner troops in Ukraine. He abruptly ended the rebellion less than 24 hours after its start following negotiations with Belarusian dictator Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Under the Lukashenko-mediated deal, the Kremlin pledged to close the case against the mercenary boss who was set to leave for Belarus.
Moscow claimed that the Wagner mercenaries who hadn't participated in the rebellion would not be prosecuted if they signed contracts with the Defense Ministry.
On the morning of June 27, the Belarusian monitoring group Belarusian Hajun reported that Prigozhin's business jet had landed at the Machulishchy military airfield near Minsk.
Prigozhin's press service hasn't yet confirmed his arrival in Belarus.
According to the Institute for the Study of War, the details of the deal between Prigozhin and the Kremlin are unclear in public sources beyond speculation and gossip.
Francis Farrell
(Updated: )
