"The Wagner Group doesn't exist!" – Putin comments on meeting with rebels

Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken about his meeting with Wagner mercenaries, noting that legally, no such organisation (the private military company, or PMC) exists.

Source: Putin in a comment to the Russian media outlet Kommersant

Quote: "Well, the Wagner PMC does not exist! We have no law on private military organisations! It just doesn't exist!

So if there is no law, then there is no PMC.

There is a group, but legally it doesn’t exist! This is a separate issue related to real legalisation. But this is an issue that should be discussed in the State Duma, in the government. It’s not an easy question."

Details: Putin said 35 people were at the meeting. He noted that he had "assessed" the Wagnerites’ actions in the war [against Ukraine - ed.] and during the mutiny on 24 June.

The Russian dictator also said he had offered them "several employment options, including [the option to remain] under the leadership of their direct commander with the nom de guerre Sedoi".

According to Putin, most of the mercenaries present at the meeting nodded their heads at his proposals. But Prigozhin replied that "the guys do not agree with this decision".

Background:

• On the evening of 23 June, Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that the regular Russian army had launched a missile strike on the Wagner mercenaries’ rear camps. He therefore deployed 25,000 of his mercenaries "to restore justice".

• On the morning of 24 June, Prigozhin claimed that his forces had taken control of military facilities in Rostov-on-Don, including the air base, and were heading "to Moscow", and that his soldiers had shot down three Russian helicopters. Wagner mercenaries also seized military facilities in the Russian city of Voronezh.

• In an emergency address on 24 June, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was "fighting for survival" and that attempts were being made to "organise a rebellion" in the country.

• On the afternoon of 24 June, Russian media reported that the Office of the President of the Russian Federation anticipated that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group fighters would likely reach Moscow’s outskirts in the next few hours, with fighting expected near Russia’s capital. Ukrainian intelligence had information that Putin had urgently left Moscow for his residence in Valdai. The Wagner Group convoy was spotted 400 km from Moscow.

• On the evening of 24 June, following a conversation with self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin announced that his mercenaries were turning their convoys around and going back to set up field camps. Later, it was reported that the criminal case against Prigozhin was to be closed and he would "go to Belarus".

• Russian pro-war media and Telegram channels claimed that 13 to 20 people died as a result of the mutiny by Wagner Group fighters.

• The Russian army also suffered losses in military vehicles: according to Vazhnye Istorii, these are three electronic warfare helicopters Mі-8, one transport helicopter Mi-8, and two assault helicopters Ka-52 and Mі-35M, as well as an aircraft command post Іl-22M and two armoured cars KamAZ and Tigr. Wagner PMC lost two UAZs, one KamAZ and one VPK-Ural armoured car.

• At the same time, according to the Russian service of Radio Liberty with reference to the calculations of the Dutch project Oryx, during the rebellion the mercenaries shot down a Іl-22M plane and six helicopters of the Russian army.

• The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, recognised the death of Russian pilots during the rebellion of the mercenaries of the Wagner Group. He met with the heads of law enforcement agencies and thanked them for "suppressing" the rebellion of Wagner Group mercenaries. He also stated that the Wagnerists will be able to sign a contract with the Russian Defence Ministry, resign or "go to Belarus".

• Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner PMC, personally arrived in St Petersburg on 4 July, where the weapons seized during the searches were returned to him.

• Previously it was reported that Prigozhin was given back RUB10 billion [approx. US$111,313 million – ed.] which security officials found during searches in St Petersburg after his attempted rebellion

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