Changes

During his speech, Vladimir Putin praised the valour of Wagner’s soldiers, many of whom died for their country. He did not hold them responsible for the situation, but asked them not to follow their leader against the state and therefore against the people.  Concluding his short address to the nation, President Putin declared: "We will save what is dear and [[holy]] to us. We will overcome all tests, we will become even stronger".  The speech was broadcast over and over again on Russian TV, dramatizing the situation.

During his speech, Vladimir Putin praised the valour of Wagner’s soldiers, many of whom died for their country. He did not hold them responsible for the situation, but asked them not to follow their leader against the state and therefore against the people.  Concluding his short address to the nation, President Putin declared: "We will save what is dear and [[holy]] to us. We will overcome all tests, we will become even stronger".  The speech was broadcast over and over again on Russian TV, dramatizing the situation.

The [[Ukrainian propaganda war|Ukrainian propaganda machine]] kicked into overdrive, with characters like [[Anton Gerashchenko]] and Igor Sushko absolutely bombarding [[social media]] with [[fake news|fake stories]] about Russian army units mutinying and regional governors “defecting” to Prigozhin - in effect positing that this was not just an uprising by Wagner against the state, but a wholesale revolt of the Russian system against Putin’s government. In fact there were no defections in any regular Russian military units or regional governments, no civil unrest, and no denunciations of Putin. The mutiny was confined to the Wagner Group, and even so not all of Wagner participated. Many who arrived in Rostov with Prigozhin didn't even know what they were there for.

The [[Ukrainian propaganda war|Ukrainian propaganda machine]] kicked into overdrive, with characters like [[Anton Gerashchenko]] and Igor Sushko absolutely bombarding [[social media]] with [[fake news|fake stories]] about Russian army units mutinying and regional governors “defecting” to Prigozhin - in effect positing that this was not just an uprising by Wagner against the state, but a wholesale revolt of the Russian system against Putin’s government. In fact there were no defections in any regular Russian military units or regional governments, no civil unrest, and no denunciations of Putin. The mutiny was confined to the Wagner Group, and even so not all of Wagner participated. Many who arrived in Rostov with Prigozhin didn't even know what they were there for. Ukrainian propagandists appealed on social networks to Belarusian neo-nazis to take advantage of the Russian disorder, rise up and eliminate President Alexander Lukashenko

The government of Belarus announced that a settlement had been negotiated with Prigozhin and Putin. Belarussian [[President Alexander Lukashenko]]’s office claimed “they came to agreements on the inadmissibility of unleashing a bloody massacre on the territory of Russia.” The column turned aside from the road to Moscow and returned to Wagner’s field camps around Ukraine, and the Wagner forces left in Rostov packed up and left.  The terms of the settlement were anticlimactic: the treason case against Prigozhin was dropped and he was exiled to Belarus; Wagner fighters who participated in the uprising would not be charged and would return to operations in Ukraine; Wagner fighters that did not participate in the uprising would sign contracts with the Russian military (essentially exiting Wagner and become regular contract troops); a vague reference to “security guarantees” for Wagner fighters.

The government of Belarus announced that a settlement had been negotiated with Prigozhin and Putin. Belarussian [[President Alexander Lukashenko]]’s office claimed “they came to agreements on the inadmissibility of unleashing a bloody massacre on the territory of Russia.” The column turned aside from the road to Moscow and returned to Wagner’s field camps around Ukraine, and the Wagner forces left in Rostov packed up and left.  The terms of the settlement were anticlimactic: the treason case against Prigozhin was dropped and he was exiled to Belarus; Wagner fighters who participated in the uprising would not be charged and would return to operations in Ukraine; Wagner fighters that did not participate in the uprising would sign contracts with the Russian military (essentially exiting Wagner and become regular contract troops); a vague reference to “security guarantees” for Wagner fighters.