Wagner members leaving Russia’s Rostov, headed for field camps: Governor

Wagner group fighters have left the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and are headed back to their field camps, the regional governor said.

News agencies cited witnesses as seeing tanks, cargo trucks and several minivans carrying fighters leave the city.

The private military group seized Rostov's military headquarters earlier Saturday, from where the operations for Russia's invasion of Ukraine are run.

In a major challenge to Putin's authorities, the heavily armed Wagner fighters took control of Rostov. Some of them advanced most of the way to Moscow in a rebellion against Russia's military establishment.

Under a deal brokered by Belarus, Wagner fighters pulled out of Rostov in a move their leader said would avoid bloodshed and de-escalate the crisis.

What happened during the Wagner-Russia crisis?

On Friday, Prigozhin claimed that his troops had been attacked by Russia's army.

Prigozhin also criticized the rationale behind Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying Russian elites aimed to acquire "material assets" from the country.

Russian authorities then launched an investigation into Prigozhin for what they called a "mutiny."

Prigozhin led his forces into Russia, taking control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don and coming into conflict with Russian troops. The Wagner chief said the move was not a "military coup" but rather a "march for justice."

Some of the Wagner members were heading toward Moscow, in a direct threat to Russia's government.    

On Saturday, the Kremlin announced that it had reached a deal with the mercenary group. The deal was mediated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Under the terms of the deal, Russia's government would not move forward with criminal charges against Wagner members who participated in the rebellion. Prigozhin will also move to Belarus. 

Prigozhin had on multiple occasions in the past criticized Russia's military leadership for allegedly providing Wagner mercenaries in Ukraine with insufficient ammunition.