Led by a person with the code name "White Hair", Putin disclosed details of meeting with Prigoren and other members of the Wagner organization: providing multiple "ways out" for Wagner | organization | personnel
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently revealed in a media interview the details of his meeting with Yevgeny Prigorn, founder of the Russian private military entity Wagner, and other members of the organization, stating that he had provided them with multiple "ways out".
The Russian newspaper Businessman published an interview with Putin on the 13th. Putin said he proposed multiple options for the future of the Wagner organization during his meeting, including continuing to be led by a person who has served as the actual commander for the past 16 months, codenamed "White Hair".
Putin did not specify who "white hair" specifically refers to. The report from Businessman Daily did not provide further interpretation.
Putin said, "During the meeting, I evaluated their performance on the battlefield and their behavior in the events that occurred on June 24th. I raised various possibilities for them to continue serving."
"Everything will remain unchanged. They will accept the leadership of the person who has always been their actual commander," Putin said. After he said these words, "the majority nodded in agreement," but Prigoren objected, stating that "they do not agree with that decision.".
On the evening of the 23rd, Prigoren ordered his armed forces to advance towards Rostov, the capital of Rostov Oblast, on the banks of the Don River. On the 24th, he announced the bloodless occupation of the headquarters of the Russian Southern Military Region, which is the command center for Russia's special military operations against Ukraine.
The Russian government has determined that Wagner is suspected of inciting armed rebellion and has filed a criminal case against Prigo.
On the evening of June 24th, Prigorn accepted the mediation of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and agreed to stop the Wagner organization's operations within Russia and take further measures to ease tensions. The Kremlin has agreed to allow Prigo and members of the Wagner organization to travel to Belarus.
On June 27th, the Security Service of the Russian Federation announced the revocation of the criminal case against Prigorn. On the same day, Lukashenko said that Prigoren was already in Belarus.
Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian President, confirmed on June 10th that Putin met with 35 members of the Wagner organization, including members of the leadership such as Prigo, in the Kremlin on June 29th. The meeting lasted for nearly three hours. The commanders of the Wagner organization stated that they are staunch supporters of the head of state and supreme commander of the armed forces, "ready to continue fighting for their homeland.".
During an interview, Putin emphasized that "although the Wagner organization exists, it is not legally so" and "there is no law in China regarding private military organizations.". "This matter is related to legislation and needs to be handled by the State Duma and the government, which is a complex issue."
The Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement on the 12th stating that the Russian armed forces are receiving weapons and equipment handed over by the Wagner organization as planned. The Wagner organization has transferred over 2000 pieces of weapons and equipment, including heavy weapons such as tanks and multiple rocket launcher systems. In addition, the Wagner organization also handed over approximately 20000 small arms and over 2500 tons of different types of ammunition.