INTERNATIONAL: Yevgeny Prigozhin, the notorious leader of Russian mercenaries, has found sanctuary in Belarus following a negotiated agreement that quelled a brief mutiny among his fighters. Concurrently, Russian President Vladimir Putin applauded the efforts of his armed forces in preventing the eruption of a civil war.
Flight tracking data confirmed the departure of an aircraft linked to Prigozhin from the southern Russian city of Rostov in the early hours of Tuesday, ultimately touching down in Belarus.
"As we can see, Prigozhin is already en route aboard this aircraft," Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko revealed, as reported by the state news agency BELTA. "Indeed, he has arrived in Belarus today."
Meanwhile, in Moscow, Putin sought to reaffirm his authority in the aftermath of the mutiny incited by Prigozhin, which stemmed from grievances over the Russian military's handling of the Ukrainian conflict.
According to state news agency RIA, Russian authorities have dropped the criminal case against Prigozhin's Wagner Group, a mercenary force. This move seemingly satisfies another condition of the agreement brokered by Lukashenko on Saturday, effectively diffusing the crisis.
Prigozhin, once an ally of Putin and a former convict, commands a contingent of mercenaries who have been embroiled in the most brutal battles of the Ukrainian war, sustaining heavy casualties. Previously, he had expressed his intention to seek refuge in neighboring Belarus, responding to Lukashenko's invitation. Lukashenko, a close ally of Putin and acquainted with the Wagner chief, facilitated his arrival.
Ukraine hopes that the turmoil instigated by the mutiny will weaken Russian defenses, enabling Kyiv to press on with its counteroffensive aimed at reclaiming occupied territories in the south and east.
On Tuesday, reports on the progress of the battlefield were scant. However, the governor of Donetsk region disclosed in the evening that two Russian missiles had struck a densely populated area with restaurants in the eastern city of Kramatorsk.
"These were public eating places in the heart of the city, bustling with civilians," Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko revealed during an interview with Ukrainian television.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko confirmed via Telegram that two individuals had lost their lives, with 22 others sustaining injuries.
Images disseminated through social media depicted partially demolished buildings and scattered debris strewn across the ground.
Since commencing its self-proclaimed "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has consistently denied deliberately targeting civilians.
