Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin days after the man once known as “Putin’s caterer” led his mercenaries in an attempted mutiny against the country’s military leaders.
On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed a June 29 meeting that lasted three hours and included other top military leaders. It was first reported by the French newspaper Liberation.
“He invited 35 people — all the squad commanders and the leadership of the [private military] company, including Prigozhin,” Mr. Peskov said, according to TASS, the official Russian news agency.
The Wagner Group leaders gave Mr. Putin their account of what happened on the ground, Mr. Peskov said.
“They emphasized that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue fighting for the Fatherland,” he said.
Mr. Prigozhin marched his mercenary force into Russia after accusing senior military leaders in the Kremlin of launching attacks against his troops. The move is regarded as the most severe threat to Mr. Putin’s authority since he came to power in 1999.
On June 24, Wagner Group forces quickly occupied the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and then moved on to Moscow. The mutiny ended when Mr. Prigozhin’s tanks got within about 120 miles of the Russian capital.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko is believed to have brokered a deal that ended the brief rebellion and offered safe haven to Mr. Prigozhin.
He said the Wagner Group leader has since returned to Russia.
Russian media are also reporting that Mr. Putin sacked the top general in charge of the war against Ukraine. Gen. Valery Gerasimov was ousted about six months after being appointed to the position, according to the Moscow Times newspaper.
He has been replaced by Gen. Mikhail Teplinskiy, according to Russian media.
