Wagner boss called off Moscow coup after Putin ‘threatened families’

Russia: Wagner group confronted by public in Rostov

The leader of the Wagner military group called off his attack on Moscow after intelligence officials threatened the families of revolting troops, UK security insiders have claimed.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the group’s leader, called off the attack within hours of reaching Moscow on the weekend, with intelligence sources telling the Daily Telegraph that threats were made to the group’s leaders.

The source added that the group was also far less equipped than initially suggested, with Prigozhin descending on the Russian capital with just 8,500 fighters, three times less than the 25,000 the warlord previously touted.

Reports suggest that Vladimir Putin now plans to absorb some of those soldiers into the Russian military.

In doing so, the intelligence source added that the premier would “take out its former leaders” while the fate of its chief remains unclear.

Neither Putin nor Prigozhin has appeared in public for days, with the two reportedly having been locked in negotiations over the weekend.

In an official announcement on Saturday, June 24, the Kremlin said the Wagner chief would leave Russia for Belarus.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the agreement was brokered by Belarusian premier Alexander Lukashenko, who has known the warlord for “at least 20 years”.

Peskov added that Russian officials would drop a criminal case opened against Prigozhin for armed mutiny as part of the deal and that Wagner fighters would not face action.

Those who had not taken part in the “march of justice” would now sign contracts with the Russian defence ministry.

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