Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it closed its criminal investigation into the armed insurrection led by the Wagner mercenary group and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin Tuesday, hours after President Vladimir Putin delivered a fiery televised speech accusing the group’s leadership of betraying their country.
Head of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin left the Southern Military District headquarters on June ... [+]
According to the Associated Press, the FSB said its investigation concluded after the agency found that the armed insurrectionists had “ceased activities directed at committing the crime.”
The development comes after Russian state media previously reported the investigation into Prigozhin and Wagner was ongoing, despite the Kremlin agreeing to enter a truce with the rebelling group.
While Prigozhin and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov suggested the dropping of the charges was part of the peace deal, a fiery speech by Putin on Monday night accusing the mutiny leaders of betrayal put that into question.
This is a developing story.