Russian investigation into Prigozhin’s rebellion closes with no charges

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has shut down its criminal investigation into the armed rebellion led by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, resulting in no charges.

This marks the latest in a string of events highlighting the greatest challenge yet to President Vladimir Putin’s rule amidst the ongoing Ukrainian war. Despite the crime of an armed mutiny carrying a potential 20-year prison sentence, the FSB concluded that those involved had ceased criminal activities, sparing Yevgeny Prigozhin and his fighters from prosecution.

In contrast, anti-government protesters in Russia have faced harsh penalties, with many opposition figures currently serving lengthy sentences under severe conditions. Yevgeny Prigozhin’s location remains uncertain, with speculation of his exile to Belarus after a business jet linked to him was reported to have landed near Minsk.

Meanwhile, Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko, a Putin ally, brokered a deal with Yevgeny Prigozhin to halt the uprising, presenting it as part of a larger feud between Prigozhin and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Lukashenko depicted the rebellion as a severe threat, necessitating Belarus’ armed forces to be on combat alert.

With the Belarusian leadership offering Wagner, which is Prigozhin’s mercenary force, potential legal jurisdiction for operation, the situation has shaken Russia’s leadership. While Putin has maintained a stance of unity and stability, commending the Wagner soldiers for preventing significant bloodshed, the fracture between him and Yevgeny Prigozhin seems irreparable, according to a Washington-based think tank.