Rebel Wagner Mercenaries Agree to Halt Advance on Moscow

Fighters of Wagner, a Russian private mercenary group, are seen atop of a tank while being deployed near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24, 2023. Stringer/Reuters

The Belarus President’s Office has said that Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has agreed to stop the group’s lightning-fast advance toward Moscow and to deescalate the situation, with Prigozhin confirming the news in a social media post.

Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has reportedly held talks with Prigozhin, according to Lukashenko’s press service.