Russia-Ukraine War

Mercenary chief halts Moscow advance, Putin spokesman says Wagner soldiers won't be prosecuted

Putin had accused mercenary Prigozhin of “treason” and vowed to crush the growing armed rebellion. The Kremlin says Prigozhin will now go to Belarus and Wagner soldiers would not be prosecuted.

This picture taken on July 4, 2017 shows Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin at the Kremlin in Moscow.
ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images

Tass, a media outlet run by Russia's government, reported Saturday afternoon that the criminal case against Prigozhin would be dropped.

In a series of Telegram posts, the news agency reported that Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, also said Prigozhin would "go to Belarus" and that Wagner soldiers would not be prosecuted.

Peskov also said he was unaware of any leadership changes in Russia's military and confirmed that Belarus' Lukashenko participated in the talks that led to Prigozhin halting his troops.

For more on this story, go to NBC News.

Countries that relied on Ukraine for crops like wheat and beets are seeing shortages after months of war. Egypt and other nations on the African continent are going to see food costs "skyrocket" as a result. Donor nations should step up to provide relief, says Lester Munson, principal international and trade consultant at BGR Group.
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