What deal with Prigozhin stopped Russia coup; Did Putin flee Moscow?

The military coup in Russia helmed by warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin came to a sudden halt after a deal was brokered between Moscow and the Wagner mercenary.

Prigozhin will now leave for Belarus and all the charges against him and his fighters will be dropped. Not many details of the deal that quelled the coup were available but it was brokered by Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus president and Putin’s ally.

Where are Prigozhin and his troops now

Prigozhin’s troops on Saturday invaded Rostov-on-Don. His troops would have reached Moscow in 24 hours but he announced that he was withdrawing his troops as Russian blood could be shed. From Rostov, his troops moved through Lipetsk.

What is the deal that Moscow agreed to stop Prigozhin

Criminal case opened against Prigozhin for his rebellion would be dropped.

Wagner fighters who took part in the rebellion won’t face any action.

Prigozhin demanded the removal of defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov. Kremlin has not spoken a word on that demand.

Kremlin watchers are not convinced that these are the only conditions of the deal. NBC News’s Richard Engel tweeted, “Maybe he (Progozhin) gets to keep his African empire and operate his pirate state from abroad? Murky mafia-style politics and I suspect they are not over.”

Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov said, “Mafia is as mafi does. Whatever deal was reached today, blood has been spilled and Putin’s illusion of invincibility is gone. He and his cronies tasted real fear. Moscow was threatened.”

Has Putin fled Moscow?

As the Wagner troops were approaching Moscow on Saturday before the truce was agreed, one of the several planes that Putin uses took off from Moscow at 2.15pm local time. Reports said it went off radar about 150 kilometres from Putin’s official residence less than half an hour later. Kremlin however denied that Putin fled Moscow.