Where is Yevgeny Prigozhin? His disappearance fuels the enigma of what was agreed with Putin

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Lukashenko had offered to mediate, with Vladimir Putin’s consent, because he had known Prigozhin personally for some 20 years. Peskov said that the criminal case that had been opened against Prigozhin for armed mutiny would be dropped and that Wagner fighters who had participated in his “march for justice” would face no action – in recognition of their previous service to Russia. since the agreement had the “higher goal” of avoiding confrontation and bloodshed.

Prigozhin, the result of the pact with Lukashenko, would take refuge in Belarus. Peskov refused to provide more information about the concessions granted to the mercenary leader, limiting himself to assuring that Putin had given his word to provide security for him and his troops, who could sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Late on Saturday afternoon, the Wagner Group left the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, after occupying it for 24 hours. Citizens took to the streets to cheer and applaud the mercenaries, including their leader, Prigozhin.

After the withdrawal, the Russian police went to Prigozhin’s office in search of information, finding -supposedly- five kilos of gold bars and some unidentified white powder. As reported by the independent Russian media Meduza.

jellyfish He also posted pictures of a passport with Prigozhin’s photo along with the name “Vladimir Bobrov” and another with the name of Prigozhin but with the photo of another bald man. Apparently they found at least four passports different. To this must be added six weapons.

Prigozhin confirmed the reports published in the media in an audio message on Telegram, assuring that the money he kept in a van and two buses went to the salaries of his fighters – paid in cash.

Where is Prigozhin?

As of yesterday, 24 hours after the deal, the whereabouts of Wagner’s boss was unclear. The only clue was the agreed destination, Belarus, however when he set sail on Saturday night from the headquarters of the Southern Military District in Rostov his fate was unknown.

When, how and where he will take refuge remains unknown, as well as how many of his men would march with him.

Prigozhin has so far not spoken publicly about leaving Russia, saying only that he had agreed to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s request to stop the march on Moscow to avoid bloodshed.

One of the theories that analysts are considering is a possible refuge in Africa, a region in which the Wagner Group has managed to expand and establish itself in recent years. Prigozhin would avoid taking refuge in a Putin-allied country (including Belarus) and the European Union for international sanctions against him and his group. Based on this, African countries could be a good base to remain a refugee.

A possible strategy

Why did the mercenaries stop their mutiny when they were just over 300 kilometers from Moscow? Many are the doubts that experts in international geopolitics have raised. Among them the former Chief of Staff of the British Armed Forces, Lord Richard Dannatt.

In an interview with the media skynews, Dannatt claims that Wagner could lead an attack on kyiv from Belarus. “The fact that he has gone to Belarus is cause for some concern,” he says, “represents a new threat to the Ukrainian flank closest to kyiv” where the war began, he adds.

[¿Conocía Ucrania el plan de Prigozhin? Lanzó un ataque en varios frentes horas antes de su rebelión]

Richard Dannatt says that “it is very possible” that Russia could use the Wagner Group to try to take kyiv. However, he believes that yesterday’s coup “has diminished Putin” even though “it was a fiasco.”

“The Russian army is clearly in disarray,” Dannatt says.