June 25, 2023 Russia-Ukraine news

Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don on Saturday.

People woke Sunday to a calmer Russia after an armed rebellion led by the bombastic Wagner chief was dramatically stalled.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, in one of the strongest challenges to President Vladimir Putin, vowed to retaliate against the Kremlin on Friday after accusing Russia’s military of attacking a Wagner camp and killing a “huge amount” of his men. His fighters then took control of a key military facility in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, with some then advancing toward Moscow.

As this was happening, in a tense address to the nation on Saturday, Putin warned that those on a “path of treason” or armed rebellion would be punished.

But the insurrection ended almost as rapidly as it began, after an apparent deal brokered by the Belarusian government.

Prigozhin stood down on Saturday, saying he was turning his forces around.

What do we know about this deal?

Prigozhin has agreed to leave Russia for Belarus, according to the Kremlin, in a deal apparently brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. However, his current whereabouts remain unclear.

Criminal charges against Prigozhin will also be dropped, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

But many questions remain about the deal, its details, and why it was agreed to by two strongmen leaders not known for a willingness to compromise.

What now for Wagner’s fighters?

Kremlin spokesman Peskov said Wagner fighters will not face legal action for taking part in the march toward Moscow, saying the Kremlin has “always respected their heroic deeds” on the front lines in Ukraine. 

But experts say that, as with the deal, many questions remain facing the fate of Wagner’s fighters following their short-lived uprising.

Wagner fighters patrol a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on Saturday, June 24.

The short-lived Wagner mercenary group uprising against the Kremlin is the “first stage of dismantling” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime, Ukrainian officials declared Sunday. 

Armed anti-Putin rebels urged supporters on Saturday to rise up and take advantage of the Wagner situation to seize power.  

“A group of discontented people has formed in Russia — security forces, officials as well as oligarchic capital — who consider Putin’s actions to be deadly for their interests and existence, a threat to Russia,” he said. 

Danilov added that he did not doubt that Wagner troops or other anti-Putin groups would eventually reach Red Square in the heart of Moscow.

He claimed that in order for Putin to save himself he must “purge” his security forces, eliminate Wagner altogether, punish Prigozhin — who has reportedly left for Belarus — introduce martial law in Russia and subsequently the “start of mass repression.”

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday issued a readout of a meeting in Beijing between Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrey Rudenko and China’s top diplomats.

The statement said Rudenko was received by Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Qin Gang and held “scheduled consultations” with Deputy Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China Ma Zhaoxu.

According to the statement, the discussion also included the upheaval in Russia during the Wagner mercenary group’s open mutiny. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks in London on June 21.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the developing situation in Russia “extraordinary” in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash Sunday, but said “it’s too soon to tell where this is going to go,” after Russia stepped back from the brink of an apparent civil war with the mercenary Wagner group.  

CNN previously reported that US intelligence officials believe that Prigozhin, chief of the private Wagner military group, had been planning a major challenge to Russia’s military leadership for quite some time, but it was unclear what the ultimate aim would be. 

Blinken, who has been making a round of calls to allies and partners over the weekend, refused to say Sunday whether the incident could be the unraveling of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s leadership.  

“This is just an added chapter to a very, very bad book that Putin has written for Russia. But what’s so striking about it is it’s internal,” he said. 

Prigozhin had vowed Friday to retaliate against Russian military leadership over an alleged strike on a Wagner military camp and claimed control of military facilities in two Russian cities. Yet by Saturday afternoon, he published an audio recording claiming he was turning his forces around from a march toward Moscow, just hours after launching an insurrection that posed the greatest threat to Putin’s authority in decades.

Blinken said the US hasn’t seen any Russia military officials ousted, maintaining that that “remains to be seen.” 

“There’s no secret to the fact that Prigozhin was very much a critic of the military leadership, the Minister of Defense, the head of the armed forces. So how this now unfolds in terms of personnel? All of that remains to be seen,” he said. 

Blinken said that the situation could serve as an advantage to Ukraine as it executes a counteroffensive.

But any instability in Russia is also of concern to US officials as well, given its status as a nuclear power.

“Any time you have a major country, like Russia, that has signs of instability, that’s something of concern. That’s something that we’re very focused on. When it comes to their nuclear weapons, we’ve seen no change in their posture and we’ve made no change in our own posture,” Blinken said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation on Saturday, June 24.

Russian state TV posted a short behind-the-scenes clip of President Vladimir Putin’s address to the nation on Sunday. 

The clip goes on to show a cameraman setting up in the room where Putin made his address to the nation.

On Sunday, Russian state TV aired a four-day-old interview with Putin, where he talked about his working day and how he deals with the special military operation in Ukraine — which is how he refers to the invasion of Ukraine.

During the June 21 interview, Putin said he pays “paramount attention” to the course of the so-called special military operation: “The day begins with this and ends with this,” referring to Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

Walking along the corridors of the Kremlin, the Russian president went on to say that he is available at all times of the day and revealed that “recently, I’ve been going to bed quite late. But, naturally, I must always be in touch — so I am.”

The interview and clip appeared on a Russian state TV show “Moscow, the Kremlin, Putin.” 

The Russian president has not been seen publicly since appearing on Russian state TV Saturday morning for his address to the nation — where he vowed to punish the “armed rebellion” launched by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.

Some context: This comes after Prigozhin agreed to leave Russia for Belarus, the Kremlin said Saturday. The armed insurrection marked the gravest threat to Putin’s authority in decades.

In a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said an agreement was struck with Prigozhin.

The dramatic developments in Russia on Friday and Saturday had many around the world glued to their phones – nowhere more so than in Ukraine. Any internal power struggle in Russia could have dramatic implications for this country’s efforts to repel the invading military.

CNN asked some people in Kyiv what they made of the events. They gave only their first names, as is often the case in this country.

Daryna, left, and Mykyta.

Mykyta, 29, ІТ developer with his partner Daryna, 28, an administrator

Ina, 53

From left, Serhiy, Yegor and Maryna.

Serhiy, 40, with his wife Maryna, 30, and their four-year-old son Yegor

From left, Marya, Olena and Nadia.

Nadia, 63

Marya, 36

Olena, 61

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner paramilitary group, led his forces in an insurrection Saturday and took control of a key military facility in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

By Saturday evening, Prigozhin announced his forces were stopping their advance toward Moscow after striking an apparent deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

Here’s a look at what happened Saturday:

A Wagner fighter stands atop an armored vehicle as he guards an area near the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don on Saturday, June 24.

Members of the Wagner group stand on the balcony of a building in Rostov-on-Don on Saturday.

A military column of the Wagner private mercenary group drives along M-4 highway, which links the capital Moscow with Russia's southern cities, near Voronezh, Russia, on Saturday.

A worker removes an advertising banner promoting service in the Wagner private mercenary group on the outskirts of St. Petersburg, Russia, on Saturday.

A Russian Police officer guards the Red Square near the Kremlin in Moscow on Saturday.

Wagner fighters prepare to pull out from the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov-on-Don to return to their base on Saturday.

Wagner private military company boss Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves Rostov-on-Don with other Wagner fighters on Saturday.

Wagner mercenaries have left the Russian region of Lipetsk after ending their rebellion against the Kremlin, according to the regional government.

“Units of PMC “Wagner,” which stopped the day before in the Lipetsk region, left the territory of the region,” it said on Telegram. 

It comes after the governor of the southern Russian region of Voronezh said Wagner units are continuing their withdrawal and forces are departing “steadily and without incident.”

Armed Wagner fighters left the southern region of Rostov earlier after halting their advance on Moscow under a deal purportedly brokered by Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko and the private army’s leader. 

Some context: Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner paramilitary group, agreed to leave Russia for Belarus, the Kremlin said Saturday. The armed insurrection marked the gravest threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority in decades.

In a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said an agreement was struck with Prigozhin.

“You will ask me what will happen to Prigozhin personally?” Peskov said. “The criminal case will be dropped against him. He himself will go to Belarus.”

The announcement defused a crisis that began when Wagner troops took control of a key military facility in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and some fighters advanced toward the capital.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting in Moscow, Russia, on May 25.

Nearly three years ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin stood by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in his hour of need, backing Europe’s longest-running dictator as he faced a wave of street protests.

Now Lukashenko appears to have come through for Putin, if we are to believe what the Kremlin and the Belarusian presidential press service tell us.

A quick recap: A major crisis shook the foundations of the Russian state Saturday, as forces loyal to Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin marched toward Moscow. Then, an abrupt reversal happened – Prigozhin called off their advance, claiming his mercenaries had come within 124 miles of the capital but were turning around to avoid spilling Russian blood. 

According to the Belarusian presidential press service, the decision followed an unexpected intervention by Lukashenko himself. The supposed deal struck with Prigozhin would see the Wagner boss leave for Belarus; a criminal case against the mercenary boss would be dropped; and Wagner fighters would be folded into formal military structures by signing contracts with the Russian ministry of defense. 

But those, it’s worth emphasizing, are only the bare outlines of the deal. Prigozhin –  whereabouts currently unknown – has not commented on the supposed agreement. And the Kremlin and Belarusian account of Lukashenko’s mediation appear to stretch credulity.

“You will probably ask me – why Lukashenko?” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Saturday. “The fact is that Alexander Grigoryevich (Lukashenko) has known Prigozhin personally for a long time, for about 20 years. And it was his personal proposal, which was agreed with President Putin. We are grateful to the President of Belarus for these efforts.”

Those efforts, Peskov claimed, “managed to resolve this situation without further losses, without increasing the level of tension.”

Still, Lukashenko’s apparent intercession raises more questions than it answers.

For starters, Lukashenko is clearly seen as the junior partner in the relationship with Putin. And Belarus depends on Russia for aid: At the height of Lukashenko’s confrontation with protesters, Putin came through with a loan of $1.5 billion. And Belarus has been a springboard for Russian military operations in Ukraine, something that has isolated Lukashenko further from the West and triggered new sanctions on the country’s economy.

So what’s to gain here for Lukashenko? It seems difficult to envision Prigozhin happily harvesting potatoes alongside the Belarusian leader, a former collective farm boss. And why was Putin — who until this weekend, was the reliable arbiter of elite disputes in Russia — unable to cut that deal himself? Delegating Lukashenko to resolve the crisis further damages Putin’s image as a decisive man of action.

The initial details we have, it seems, do not completely add up. And adding to that uncertainty are other questions: What will happen to the Wagner “brand?” Will Prigozhin’s foot soldiers be compliant and let themselves be absorbed into the Russian military? Will they still have loyalty to their boss? And what about Wagner forces operating elsewhere in the world, from Africa to the Middle East?

Prigozhin – if and when he surfaces – may give us some clues.

Wagner units are continuing their withdrawal and forces are departing “without incident” from the the southern Russian region of Voronezh, according to the area’s governor, after Russia stepped back from the brink of an apparent civil war with the private military group.

Elsewhere, Russian launched attacks on eastern and southern Ukraine on Saturday and overnight, Ukrainian officials said, killing two and injuring at least eight others.

Below are the latest updates:

Chechen special forces deployed to Rostov-on-Don and the Rostov region Saturday to aid Moscow in quelling a Wagner insurrection are withdrawing, according to Russian state media.

TASS cited Apty Alaudinov, commander of the “Akhmat” special forces, reporting that the unit is returning to the front lines of Ukraine where they are fighting alongside Russian troops.

The Akhmat special forces were dispatched to Rostov to help suppress the rebellion, Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Chechnya, said in a Telegram post Sunday.

“In light of the recent events, Chechen units were sent to Rostov-on-Don in order to take the situation under control, if necessary,” Kadyrov said in a post.

“To solve this problem, the assistant to the head of the Chechen Republic, the commander of the special forces ‘AKHMAT,’ the deputy commander of the 2nd Army Corps of the RF Armed Forces Apty Alaudinov and the commander of the regiment ‘North-AKHMAT’ Zaindi Zingiev were involved,” he said.

On Saturday, Chechen State media Grozny reported that “3,000 fighters of elite units were sent from Chechnya, and they have been holding their positions since early morning ready to fulfill any order of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

The armed rebellion ended with Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin withdrawing his private mercenary troops and turning back from his march to Moscow.

A view of an apartment building damaged during Russian missile strikes in Kyiv on Saturday.

The death toll from an attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv early Saturday has risen to five, according to the city’s mayor.

Rescuers discovered two further bodies under the rubble of the 24-story apartment block in the city’s Solomyanskyi district, Vitali Klitschko said in a Telegram post Sunday,

In a previous post, Klitschko said that ” fragments of a rocket hit the upper floors” of the building, filling them with smoke.

According to the mayor, rescuers are still working through the rubble of the multi-story building, which was damaged by falling missile debris.  

Wagner fighters pull out of the the city of Rostov-on-Don on Saturday.

Wagner units are continuing their withdrawal and forces are departing “without incident” from the the southern Russian region of Voronezh, according to the area’s governor.

Units of Wagner went through Voronezh on their advance toward Moscow, and authorities said Sunday a fuel tank fire at an oil refinery had been extinguished after Saturday’s dramatic events. 

The governor thanked Voronezh residents “for their endurance, steadfastness and reasonableness, and all the law enforcement agencies and involved departments for their well-coordinated work and professionalism.”

Some context: Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner paramilitary group, agreed to leave Russia for Belarus, the Kremlin said Saturday, in a deal apparently brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. The armed insurrection marked the gravest threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority in decades.

In a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said an agreement was struck with Prigozhin.

“You will ask me what will happen to Prigozhin personally?” Peskov said. “The criminal case will be dropped against him. He himself will go to Belarus.”

The announcement defused a crisis that began when Wagner troops took control of a key military facility in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and some fighters advanced toward the capital.

International talks held in Copenhagen to discuss Kyiv’s 10-point peace plan to end Russia’s invasion were “constructive,” Ukrainian President Zelensky’s chief of staff said Sunday.

“I expressed my conviction that it (the plan) should be the basis for achieving a sustainable and just peace for Ukraine, as the war lingers in our territory,” Andriy Yermak said in a series of tweets. 

Zelensky first presented Ukraine’s 10-point peace formula to world leaders at the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, in November.

The steps include a path to nuclear safety, food security, a special tribunal for alleged Russian war crimes and a final peace treaty with Moscow. He also urged G20 leaders to use all their power to “make Russia abandon nuclear threats” and implement a price cap on energy imported from Moscow.

Over the weekend, representatives from G7 countries and multiple nations in the global south met in Copenhagen to discuss the peace plan. The countries that joined the Ukrainian-led talks included India, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States.

Yermak called the meeting of the advisers “a clear message of respect for Ukraine and our fair battle” and hailed the involvement of a number of global south countries as a sign of “significant positive changes” in relations. 

China’s foreign minister, Qin Gang, held a meeting with Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Andrey Rudenko, in Beijing on Sunday, the Chinese foreign ministry said.

The two sides “exchanged views on China-Russia relations and international and regional issues of common concern,” a statement from the foreign ministry said, without providing any further details. 

The statement did not mention the Wagner insurrections in Russia nor Ukraine specifically. China has not publicly commented on the insurrection.

Some context: Last month, Beijing’s special envoy for the war met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an attempt cast itself as a potential peace broker between the warring sides. China has faced criticism for not acting to help end the war started by Russia, who they have close ties with.

While Russia has been hit with Western sanctions since it invaded Ukraine, bilateral trade between Moscow and Beijing totaled more than $93.8 billion between January to May, a 40.7% increase when compared to the same period last year, according to China’s General Administration of Customs.

Ukrainian soldiers of the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade fire a grenade launcher at the front line near the town of Bakhmu on June 17.

Ever since President Vladimir Putin gave the order for Russian troops to invade Ukraine, the international response has understandably focused on how best to end the land war. That has meant sending conventional military hardware – tanks, missile systems, artillery – and training Ukrainian soldiers.  

Not bad for an organization France’s President Emmanuel Macron warned in 2019 was facing “brain death.”

Russia’s aggression hasn’t been restricted to the battlefield. Even before the invasion, NATO officials noted a rise in non-conventional warfare aimed at Ukraine and other Western targets.

Since the start of the war, disinformation, energy restrictions and cyberattacks on infrastructure have all been weaponized by the Kremlin to justify and advance its war.  

But NATO’s unity has been one of the least expected and most welcome aspects of the West’s response to the war in Ukraine. And the relative stability of the politics within the alliance has created windows for NATO to try new things and get the money to do so.  

Read the full analysis here.

Two people have died and at least eight injured in Russian attacks on eastern and southern Ukraine on Saturday and overnight, Ukrainian officials said.

In the eastern Donetsk region, one resident in the front line town of Vuhledar died and two others were wounded on Saturday, Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the regional military administration, wrote on Telegram Sunday. 

In Kherson, a 44-year-old man was killed and a woman was trapped under the rubble of a five-story building after Russian shelling damaged homes and property, Oleksandr Prokudin, head of Kherson region military administration, said.

Prokudin also said Russia carried out 59 attacks, including 235 shells from mortars, artillery, Grad MLRS and aircraft, which struck residential areas.

In Kharkiv, a 7-year-old boy was injured and hospitalized in a blast in the village of Pivdenne, Oleh Syniehubov, head of the region’s military administration, said. 

“The enemy fired at frontline and border settlements in Kharkiv, Kupyansk and Chuhuiv districts of the region,” Syniehubov said, adding a 49-year-old man in the Kruhliakivka village of Kupyansk was also injured. 

In the southern Zaporizhzhia region, two people were injured - an 85-year-old woman from Preobrazhenka and a 77-year-old woman from Novodanylivka - after Russia launched attacks with UAVs, MLRS and artillery strikes on frontline settlements, Yurii Malashko, head of Zaporizhzhia region military administration, said. At least 15 residential buildings were damaged, he added. 

A 47-year-old man was also injured with multiple shrapnel wounds after enemy shelling in the southern Ukrainian district of Nikopol, according to Serhii Lysak, head of Dnipropetrovsk region military administration. The city is located in the Dnipropetrovsk region across the river from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

Three private houses and a gas pipeline were damaged in Nikopol, he said, adding some settlements in the nearby Marhanets community had power outages after heavy artillery damaged a power line.

Japan’s National Security Secretariat, Takeo Akiba, held a 10-minute phone call with US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Saturday to discuss the unfolding situation in Russia, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported.

“They discussed Wagner and broader Russian issues and agreed that the two nations will closely cooperate with each other and monitor the situation,” according to NHK.

Akiba is currently in Copenhagen for an international conference on the war in Ukraine, according to NHK.

Some context: Within a remarkable day and a half, Russia faced the very real threat of an armed insurrection, with President Vladimir Putin vowing to punish Wagner fighters marching toward Moscow and occupying cities along the way – before a sudden deal with Belarus seemed to defuse the crisis as rapidly as it emerged.

But much remains uncertain, with experts warning the rare uprising isn’t likely to disappear so quickly without consequences down the line.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with President Andrzej Duda of Poland on Saturday about the situation in Russia, the Elysée Palace said in a statement

Macron then got on a call with US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Elysée said.  

A fuel tank fire is seen close to the city of Voronezh, in southwestern Russia, on Saturday.

A fuel tank fire at an oil refinery close to the city of Voronezh in southwestern Russia has been extinguished, Russia’s state news agency TASS reported on Sunday, citing the Ministry of Emergency Situations for the region. 

Firefighters completely extinguished the fire, which destroyed a 5,000 ton tank of aviation kerosene, TASS reported. 

Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev had reported that a fuel tank at an oil refinery close to the city was on fire.

He provided no explanation for the cause of the fire, but several social media videos showed at least one military helicopter in the vicinity. Fighters of the Wagner private military company had been in the area, geolocated video showed.

Traffic restrictions remain in place for a major highway, the M-4 “Don”, in Moscow and in the Tula region, Russia’s state highway company Avtodor said on Telegram Sunday. 

This comes hours after Russia’s Federal Road Agency said all restrictions on highways in Russia had been lifted, according to Russian state media TASS.

On Saturday, Avtodor had advised drivers to avoid the M-4 as reports swirled that convoys of Wagner fighters were using the road.

Earlier in the day, TASS reported that car traffic had been blocked on the M-4 highway past Rostov-on-Don towards Aksay.

Russia’s government “struggled” to put together an “effective rapid response” to Wagner’s rebellion, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a statement Saturday, highlighting “internal security weaknesses likely due to surprise and the impact of heavy losses in Ukraine.”

The organization said “Wagner likely could have reached the outskirts of Moscow if Prigozhin chose to order them to do so.”

The “founding mission” of Rosgvardia, Russia’s National Guard, is “to protect internal threats to the security of the Russian government,” (ISW) said.

“It is notable that Rosgvardia failed to engage even as Wagner captured critical military assets in Rostov-on-Don and destroyed Russian military aircraft,” the statement said.

This weekend’s lightening rebellion and its subsequent deescalation has left even seasoned Russian watchers stunned, with many saying the uncertainty raises a lot of questions.

Hall added Prigozhin may have felt he had bitten off more than he could chew as his column of troops marched towards Moscow. But at the same time, Putin faced the very real prospect of having to defeat some 25,000 Wagner troops.

Sending Prigozhin to Belarus was a face saving move for both sides, Hall said. But added that Putin comes out ultimately worse off and weakened.

Wagner fighters pull out of the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don on Saturday night.

After previously refusing to surrender, Wagner private military company chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced his forces were turning around from a march toward Moscow – suddenly defusing a crisis that threatened Russia’s stability.

It followed an intervention by the Belarusian government, according to the Kremlin, who said a deal had been reached that would see the Wagner boss leave for Belarus.

Here’s what you need to know.

How did we get here? Prigozhin on Friday accused Russia’s military of attacking a Wagner camp and killing a “huge amount” of his men. He vowed to retaliate with force, insinuating that his forces would “destroy” any resistance, including roadblocks and aircraft. Wagner troops then took control of a key military facility in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and some fighters advanced toward Moscow. The insurrection ended with the deal apparently brokered by Belarus.

What’s happening now? Prigozhin said he was turning his forces around from a march toward Moscow shortly after the Belarusian government’s apparent deal to halt the advance. The Wagner boss said the move was in accordance with an unspecified plan and intended to avoid Russian bloodshed.

The Wagner boss has agreed to leave Russia for neighboring Belarus, a spokesperson for the Kremlin said. However, his current whereabouts remain unclear.

What’s next for Prigozhin? Criminal charges against Prigozhin will be dropped and Wagner’s fighters will face no legal action for their part in the insurrection, a Kremlin spokesperson said. But experts have warned that the danger isn’t over for the chief of the mercenary outfit.

What does this mean for Putin? The armed standoff was one of the most dramatic moments for Putin since his rise to power 23 years ago, and arguably one of the most volatile moments since his brutal onslaught in Ukraine began more than a year ago.

Experts say despite the apparent deescalation, the Russian leader’s strongman reputation has been compromised and many questions remain over what could happen next.

How has Ukraine responded? President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his nightly address, claimed Putin is “very afraid,” saying that the Russian president is “probably hiding somewhere, not showing himself.” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Prigozhin’s escalation had “almost nullified” Putin and criticized Prigozhin for “suddenly” turning his forces around. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suffered “a mortal blow,” according to a retired US general, despite the apparent deal that will see Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin leave for Belarus.

“There are two existential fights going on in this Russia-Ukraine war,” said retired US Army Brig. Gen. Peter Zwack.

“One is the viability of the survival, the existence, of a free-minded Ukrainian state. The other is inside the Kremlin and the viability of the Putin regime.”

He called the events that unfolded on the streets of Russia over the past 36 hours “extraordinary,” adding there is a “narrative getting out to the mainstream population that this invasion of Ukraine was wrong.”

Zwack said: “And I think in this aspect, the information is that Russia’s Putin’s bodyguard of lies is collapsing as we watch.”

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is seen in Moscow on May 24.

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will hold an emergency meeting of his Security Council on Sunday, his office has said, hours after he called for “law and order” in Russia.

The announcement comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin called Tokayev to brief him on the situation in Russia. 

Tokayev noted the events are an “internal affair” of Russia and called for the resumption of law and order.  

Major Mike Lyons speaks to CNN's Anderson Cooper on June 24.

A retired major in the the US Army said there are many questions to be asked about the future facing Wagner fighters after their short-lived uprising.

“They’re an independent fighting company. They were given better rations. They dressed differently,” said Major Mike Lyons (Ret.) US Army. 

He added: “Maybe some will splinter off. Maybe some will decide to defect and provide information to Ukraine. Those people are loyal to the man, Prigozhin, not to the country, not to the mission. I think we’ve got a lot more questions that are not answered right now.”

Earlier Saturday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Wagner fighters will not face legal action for taking part in the march toward Moscow, saying that the Kremlin has “always respected their heroic deeds” on the front lines in Ukraine. 

The United States has not seen a change to Russia’s nuclear posture since Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin began his insurrection challenging the Kremlin’s leadership, two US officials told CNN. 

President Putin has repeatedly engaged in nuclear saber-rattling over the course of the Ukraine war. Putin said earlier this month that the first tactical nuclear weapons to be stored in Belarus had arrived. US President Joe Biden called the move “absolutely irresponsible.”

The US has continued to monitor Russia’s nuclear posture throughout the Ukraine War despite Russia this year suspending participation in the single lasting nuclear arms control treaty between the US and Russia. This has meant that the two nations are no longer sharing certain notifications with one another which were required under the treaty, including updates on the status or location of treaty-accountable items such as missiles and launchers. 

And as the US continues to monitor the situation in Russia the US diplomatic presence in the country has remain unchanged. 

“Our embassy in Moscow remains open, we are in regular communication with it, and its operating posture remains the same at this time,” the spokesperson said. 

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, condemned the actions of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in a Telegram post on Saturday, saying, “bloodshed could have happened.” 

Kadyrov added that “extreme measures” would have been needed to stop any Wagner rebellion requiring “harsh suppression and destruction of anyone who encroaches on the integrity of the Russian Federation.”

Condemning Prigozhin for his actions over the last 24 hours, Kadyrov said: “The arrogance of one person could lead to such dangerous consequences and draw a large number of people into the conflict,” he added. 

Kadyrov blamed Prigozhin for “mixing business ambitions with matters of national importance.” 

Some context: Chechen State media Grozny reported earlier Saturday that “3,000 fighters of elite units were sent from Chechnya, and they have been holding their positions since early morning ready to fulfill any order of Russian President Vladimir Putin.” 

Former CNN Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty speaks to CNN's Anderson Cooper.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “doesn’t forgive traitors,” said former CNN Moscow bureau chief, Jill Dougherty.

Even though Putin has told Prigozhin to go to Belarus, according to the Kremlin, the Wagner chief remains a “traitor,” Dougherty told CNN’s Anderson Cooper Saturday.

Dougherty said the turmoil and chaos that transpired on the streets of Russia did not make Putin look like the strongman leader he has positioned himself to be.

“Why are average Russians on the street cheering people trying to carry out a coup? That means that maybe they support them but they might like them. Whatever it is, it is really bad news for Putin.”

Wagner private military company boss Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves the headquarters of the Southern Military District amid the group's pullout from the city of Rostov-on-Don on June 24.

Wagner private military company boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has left Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don in southwestern Russia, new video shows.

The video, posted to Telegram, and geolocated and authenticated by CNN, shows Prigozhin sitting in the backseat of a vehicle. Crowds cheer and the vehicle comes to a stop as an individual approaches it and shakes Prigozhin’s hand. 

He is heard saying “All the best” to the people gathered before the vehicle drives off. 

Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti quoted an unnamed eyewitness that said Prigozhin left the headquarters “with the fighters.” 

It’s the first time Prigozhin has been seen in public since he announced that his troops would “turn back” from Moscow and return to “field camps.” It is unclear where Prigozhin is currently en route to, but per the apparent deal, he is expected to be sent to Belarus and not face any criminal charges.

The video follows other clips posted to Telegram, also geolocated and authenticated by CNN, that show Wagner forces withdrawing from their positions at the military headquarters, crowds surrounding a Wagner vehicle convoy and people cheering the forces after it was announced they would turn back.

Before the Wagner forces were seen leaving, video from Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti showed a Russian military police vehicle arriving at the military headquarters.