Russia-Ukraine war: Lukashenko says Wagner chief Prigozhin is in Belarus

A jet belonging to Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin flew to Belarus from Russia on Tuesday (June 27). Several media reports mentioned that a flight-tracking website showed Wagner chief's plane flying out of Rostov and landing near Minsk.

It was confirmed by Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, whowas quoted as sayingby the statemedia Belta that Prigozin was currently in Belarus.

As quoted, the Belarusian leader said that "security guarantees have been given" as promised to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I see Prigozhin's been flying aboard this plane - yes, indeed he’s in Belarus today," he wasquoted as saying.

Lukashenko also said that Belarus is not building any camps for the group, but will accommodate them if they want.

According to the Reuters news agency, Lukashenko said, "We offered them one of the abandoned military bases. Please - we have a fence, we have everything - put up your tents."

This comes just a few days after Prigozhin led an armed revolt against Putin's government on Saturday.

Lukashenko, who mediated a deal to halt a mutiny by Prigozhin's mercenary fighters, said on Tuesday that long-standing tensions between Moscow's army and the Wagner mercenary group had been mismanaged.

The mutiny came after a series of claims and counterclaims made by the Wagner chief as the feud between him and the Russian army escalated for months. Prigozhin made increasingly scathing statements against generals.

Lukashenko said, "We missed the situation, and then we thought that it would resolve itself, but it did not resolve."

Lukashenko also said that it had been "painful" to watch events unfold in Russia. He further mentioned that during the crisis situation, he had put Belarusian troops and police on full alert.

"Two people who fought at the front clashed, there are no heroes in this case," he added, referring to the Wagner chief and his rival Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

The Russian defence ministry also said on Tuesday that it was preparing to take over military hardware belonging to the Wagner mercenary group.

The defence ministry said in a statement online, "Preparations are underway for the transfer of heavy military equipment from the private military company Wagner to units of the Russian armed forces."

Putin accuses the West

The Russian president on Mondayaccused Ukraine and its Western allies of wanting Russians to "kill each other". During a Monday night address, he also claimed that Prigozhin's uprising was "doomed to fail". He made a special mention to the civilians for showing "unity" in the face of a "treacherous" rebellion.

The Kremlin on Tuesday said that Putin's authority had not been weakened by the armed mutiny. Meanwhile, Putin said that the group of Wagner mercenaries failed to win the support of the Russian people or its army.

Watch:Has Putin's credibility been damaged?

In a televised address to law enforcement agencies outside the Kremlin, he said, "People who were drawn into the rebellion saw that the army and the people were not with them."

Putin told troops from the defence ministry, National Guard, FSB security service and interior ministry, "You de facto stopped a civil war."

"In the confrontation with rebels, our comrades-in-arms, pilots, were killed. They did not flinch and honourably fulfilled their orders and their military duty," he said, before holding a minute'ssilence in their memory, without saying how many died.

(With inputs from agencies)

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