On 24 June, Wagner Group commander Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered his fighters to halt their advance on Moscow and return to their bases in southern Russia, ending what he called a ‘march of justice’ that arose in response to the requirement that Wagner forces come under the Ministry of Defence hierarchy, the imminent ending of Wagner’s contracts and Russian forces attacking Wagner camps in Ukraine. The order to halt followed a deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, under which Prigozhin agreed to go into exile in Belarus in return for a ‘pardon’ from President Vladimir Putin, which supposedly includes dropping the armed mutiny charges against him and granting an amnesty for his forces, provided they sign contracts with Russia’s Defence Ministry.
