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Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin will be exiled from Russia to Belarus as part of a truce agreed with Vladimir Putin after an explosive armed rebellion raced to Moscow on Saturday. The mutiny was called off at the 11th hour as Prigozhin said he wanted to “avoid bloodshed”. Wagner’s forces were about four hours away from Moscow when news of the dramatic turnaround came. His decision to stop Wagner soldiers storming through Moscow saved him and his men from facing criminal charges over the attempted coup, the Kremlin said. The move marked a humiliating climbdown for Putin after he earlier vowed to take revenge on those behind the mutiny. Prigozhin, who sent out a series of audio and video updates during his revolt, has gone silent since the Kremlin announced the deal had been brokered for him to end his march and leave Russia. Before the mutiny was called off, there was speculation about Putin’s whereabouts after one of his planes was seen leaving Moscow. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky said: “The man from the Kremlin is obviously very scared and is probably hiding somewhere.” Read More Mutiny, mayhem and panic on the streets of Moscow: Russia saved from brink of civil war at 11th hour Russian mercenary leader's exile ends revolt but leaves questions about Putin's power ‘Let’s go home’: Wagner paramilitary troops prepare to turn around from Moscow advance

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Wagner Group mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin halted his dramatic advance toward Moscow and pulled his fighters back, defusing

US spy agencies had picked up intelligence in mid-June that Wagner mercenary group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was planning armed action, said a report. There were enough signals to be able to tell leadership [in the US] something was up”, reported The Washington Post, citing an unnamed US official. “So I think they were ready for it.” Mr Prigozhin and his troops won’t face criminal charges over his attempted coup in Russia, the Kremlin said. He will be moved to Belarus, a close ally of Russia, after his mercenary army captured army bases in two Russian cities but called off their advance on Moscow at the 11th hour to “avoid bloodshed”. The move marked a humiliating climbdown for Vladimir Putin after he earlier vowed to take revenge on those behind the mutiny. Wagner’s forces were about four hours away from Moscow when news of the dramatic turnaround came. Earlier on Saturday, Mr Putin’s whereabouts had come into question after an aircraft belonging to the presidency was spotted flying from Moscow to St Petersburg. Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied Mr Putin had fled. Read More Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin? The Wagner mercenary chief urging a ‘civil war’ against Putin Furious Putin calls Wagner coup ‘treason’: ‘This is a stab in the back to everyone in Russia’ Military vehicles on streets of Rostov-on-Don as Wagner chief claims control of HQ Who are Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner mercenary group

Wagner’s armed rebellion dramatically called off its march towards Moscow on Saturday as it abandoned a coup that saw soldiers take control of the military headquarters in both Rostov and Voronezh. Rogue Russian mercenary fighters had their efforts labelled as “treason” by Vladimir Putin after the shock advance that began on Friday evening. The mutiny, called off when troops were just four hours from the Russian capital in a deal brokered by Belarus, marked one of the most explosive episodes in the country’s war saga to date. The move came after the group’s leader Yevgeny Prigozhin accused the Kremlin of deliberately bombing Wagner troops in Bakhmut. Britain’s Ministry of Defence has called the instalment “the most significant challenge to the Russian state” in a series of events that are set to put the city firmly on the map. Rostov-on-Don, also known as simply Rostov, is the largest city in southern Russia and sits about 100km from the eastern Ukraine border. The population is about one million people and Rostov also houses Russia’s southern military district command and the 58th Combined Arms Army, which is currently engaged in major counteroffensive efforts against Ukraine. Rostov sits almost directly south of Moscow with approximately 1161 km separating the two cities. Despite the distance, a triumphant Prigozhin had said the Wagner fighters’ sights were firmly set on the Russian capital before the 11th hour- climb down to avoid “blood being spilled”. By Saturday afternoon, Wagner troops were inching closer to Moscow after claiming control of military headquarters in Voronezh, a city about halfway between Rostov and Moscow. Prigozhin has said his forces have been attacked by artillery and helicopters since he launched the rogue efforts. However, Putin said the Priogozhin’s “armed mutiny” amounted to treason and was a “mortal blow” to Russia’s troops. Wagner’s taking of Rostov is significant as the city serves as a main rear logistical hub for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, particularly in the country’s east. Increased security measures have been introduced across the capital and its famous Red Square has become blocked off by metal barriers. In one video posted on Saturday morning, Prigozhin said he was at the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov and demanded Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the country’s top general Valery Gerasimov come to meet him. “We have arrived here, we want to receive the chief of the general staff and Shoigu,” Prigozhin said. “Unless they come, we’ll be here, we’ll blockade the city of Rostov and head for Moscow. Prigozhin said in another video multiple military sites in Rostov, including the airfield, were under Wagner’s control. Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary Ukraine-Russia war – live: Furious Putin calls Wagner mutiny ‘treason’ and ‘mortal blow’ to troops Military vehicles on streets of Rostov-on-Don as Wagner chief claims control of HQ Who are Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner mercenary group

Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin halted his advance toward Moscow and pulled his fighters back, defusing what had

Russia appears to have stepped back from the brink of a full-scale armed mutiny, after the Wagner Group, one of the world’s most powerful private armies, halted a march on Moscow started by a vow for revenge. While the immediate threat seems to have been averted, the unprecedented attack on the Russian military establishment marks the most serious challenge to President Vladimir Putin in the 23 years he has ruled with an iron fist – and the crisis is unlikely to just disappear just because the military convoy halted 125 miles from the Russian capital. Earlier in an extraordinary day, a visibly angry Mr Putin made an emergency address to the nation railing against the attempted coup and said the very existence of the Russian state was at stake. "We are fighting for the lives and security of our people, for our sovereignty and independence,” he said, comparing the Wagner “mutiny” to the 1917 revolution that led to the collapse of imperial Russia. The source of his ire was Yevgeny Prigozhin, the outspoken leader of the Wagner mercenary group, who had vowed to avenge attacks he claimed were perpetrated by the Russian military against his men in eastern Ukraine. Mr Prigozhin vehemently denied accusations of treason and spent the day vowing to fight “until the end.” However, late on Saturday his band of mercenaries halted their march and would turn back “to avoid shedding Russian blood” – in a deal broken by Belarusian president and Russia’s closest ally Alexander Lukashenko. “In a day, we marched to nearly 200km outside of Moscow. In this time, we did not spill a single drop of blood of our fighters,” Mr Prigozhin said in audio messages shared to his Telegram channels. “Now, the moment has come when blood may spill. That’s why, understanding the responsibility of spilling Russian blood on one of the sides, we are turning back our convoys and going back to field camps according to the plan.” It was unclear on Saturday night exactly what the agreement to halt the Wagner convoy entailed, but the Kremlin confirmed that neither Mr Prigozhin nor his troops would face criminal charges over the insurrection. The Kremlin did not confirm Mr Prigozhin’s whereabouts but said he would be moved to Belarus, a close ally of Russia. In a day of dramatic developments: Moscow’s mayor urged all residents to stay in their homes Authorities declared a “counter-terrorist regime” in the capital – enhancing security and restricting some movement. Crews dug up sections of highways to slow the movement of the Wagner convoy There was confusion over Mr Putin’s whereabouts, with the Kremlin denying he had left the city in a plane There were also unconfirmed reports that a number of Russian officials had left the capital, with suggestions that Denis Manturov, a deputy prime minister may have flown to Turkey. The crisis ignited Friday night when Mr Prigozhin, a former hotdog seller turned powerful warlord, issued a string of expletive-riddled audio and video messages. He accused the top Russian military brass of bombing his camp in the eastern region of Donbas, “lying” about the motivations for invading Ukraine, and rampant corruption. As tensions mounted, Mr Putin responded by saying his former confidante was guilty of “armed insurrection” and “treason” and promised to punish those behind the “stab in the back”. Wagner forces – deployed along some of the toughest battle lines in Ukraine – crossed back into Russia, captured the logistical hub of Rostov in the south, and then set off on a 1000km race to the capital. Videos shared on their channels purportedly showed a column of tanks mounted on armoured cars and advanced Pantsir anti-aircraft missile system making its way north accompanied by as many as 5000 men, or a fifth of Wagner’s claimed total forces. Desperate to halt an advance, Russia's military fired on the column with helicopters, deployed tanks and even tore up key motorways with diggers according to videos posted online. "We will destroy anyone who stands in our way," Mr Prigozhin originally vowed. "We are moving forward and will go until the end," he added. The spectacular eruption of violence in Russia, came after searing tensions within the country’s top command since President Putin invaded Ukraine last February. Prigozhin, once a shadowy figure who denied his role with private military companies, has fast become the most outspoken and powerful figure in Putin’s war. His forces – which first appeared in Russia’s initial invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014 – were stationed in some of the bloodiest battlefields like Bakhmut. There he would frequently post videos criticising the Ministry of Defence and top Russian generals for poor battle plans or not providing enough ammunition. This claim, his former troops say, was a ruse to allow him to stockpile weapons he ultimately used in Russia on Saturday. Speaking exclusively to The Independent, a former Wagner soldier, who was stationed near Bakhmut in November but managed to escape to Europe with the help of dissidents, said Mr Prigozhin was a “skilful manipulator”. The soldier said he had gained so much power due to the war in Ukraine. “Everyone should understand and realise that the regular army and those who serve in Wagner now are under the rule imposed by Prigozhin.” He said that Mr Prigozhin ruled by fear “in a dictatorial regime” and so people remain loyal to survive. “They are frightened reprisal if they speak out or fail to follow orders,” he said, asking to remain anonymous for his own security. He added that Mr Prigozhin’s “hysterical” statements and actions “were aimed at garnering support and creating the image of a strong leader.” “Even to this day, some people continue to view him favourably,” he added. In Ukraine, commanders, officials and foot soldiers watched with amusement, confusion and trepidation, at the events as they unfolded. The extraordinary disintegration of Russia’s top brass signalled an unprecedented opportunity on the battlefield, but many on the ground feared what forces were supporting Mr Prigozhin and the dangers of a President Putin backed into the corner. “If Prigozhin starts destroying aeroplanes and helicopters and makes it to Moscow, it means a big deal,” one Ukrainian intelligence source told The Independent. “He can’t be doing this on his own, he must be supported by someone, some oligarch, someone who wants to remove Putin and put him in power. We don’t know who that is, and that is worrying,” the source added. President Zelensky said that Saturday’s events showed the world “that the bosses of Russia do not control anything. Nothing at all”. It’s “complete chaos,” he wrote on his Twitter account. “There is complete absence of any predictability,” he added urging the West to give more support ousting Russia from Ukrainian lands. Ukrainian soldiers said Ukraine made modest gains on Saturday as the situation in Russia disintegrated. “Without a doubt, we will take advantage of this, as you will see in the near future,” Serhiy Cherevaty, spokesperson for the Armed forces in the east, told The Independent. Read More Russia-Ukraine war live: Prigozhin ‘won’t face criminal charges’ over Wagner coup against Putin ‘Let’s go home’: Wagner paramilitary troops prepare to turn around from Moscow advance Is this the end for Putin? His country now stands on the edge of civil war Putin has never looked weaker – it is hard to see how he can ever recover The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary