Wagner Group’s Prigozhin remains under investigation despite deal with Kremlin

Investigations against Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner group, are still ongoing, with charges related to organising armed rebellion remaining in place, according to Russian news agencies.

This development persists despite an agreement between the mercenary group and the Kremlin to halt the mutiny.

Reports state that a source from the prosecutor’s office confirmed that the criminal case against Prigozhin hasn’t been dropped, a fact also corroborated by Russia’s main state news service, Ria Novosti. Business newspaper Kommersant further stated that Russia’s primary security service, FSB, continues to investigate Prigozhin, as “not enough time has passed to make another decision”.

Prigozhin, who had been unheard and unseen since he left the southern army headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, was under the impression that all charges would be dropped once he left for Belarus, according to earlier Kremlin reports.

Investigations continue against Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner Group head, amid charges of organising armed rebellion. Photo courtesy of IGORN from Pixabay.

Despite these internal troubles, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared that the Wagner mercenary group will maintain its operations in the Central African Republic and Mali, where they function as instructors. This situation, Lavrov assured, would not affect Russia’s relations with its partners and friends.

In another development, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu made his first public appearance since Prigozhin’s rebellion against the country’s military leadership. During his appearance, Shoigu was seen inspecting a Russian command post and receiving updates on the war against Ukraine. Social media channels indicated that Shoigu’s visit occurred in the Belgorod region, near Ukraine’s border, before the onset of Prigozhin’s revolt.

Rumours of Shoigu’s potential removal as part of the Kremlin’s deal with Prigozhin were dismissed by the government. In light of the Wagner group’s recent threats to Putin’s regime, it is speculated that Shoigu’s video appearance signifies a return to normalcy.

The defence ministry reported that Shoigu received a report on the current situation and the army’s combat tasks from Yevgeny Nikiforov, the commander of Russia’s Western Military District. Shoigu commended the army’s effectiveness and instructed it to thwart enemy plans.