Two Wagner fighters ‘executed for failing to support rebellion against Putin’s regime’
The bodies were found near the Voronezh-Luhansk highway in eastern Ukraine after the Wagner group led an apparent rebellion after clashes with the army in June.
The bodies of two Wagner Group mercenaries found in Ukraine, summarily executed for failing to support Prigogine’s June rebellion against the army.
The body, found in military fatigues and without identification documents, was shot dead near the Voronezh-Luhansk highway.
A military jeep with a Kalashnikov-style weapon was found near the scene in the Russian-held Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine.
According to the news, a suspected assassin named Yaroslav Shekhvatsov (35) has been detained.
The identities of the two dead fighters have not been found.
A military jeep with weapons was found near the scene in the Voronezh region
The car was found near the scene with a Kalashnikov style rifle in the cabin
The BAZA media outlet reported that Shekhvatsov confessed to shooting them on June 24 for not supporting the armed uprising.
Shekhvatsov alleged that the two men found dead had disobeyed orders.
If true, it highlights the lawlessness of the Kremlin-loyal military.
The suspect has been detained and a murder case has now been opened, according to reports.
Wagner has previously been accused of using a sledgehammer to kill ‘traitors’ who showed support for Ukraine.
Last month, Wagner Group mercenaries marched on Moscow under the command of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the private military company.
The armed rebellion was apparently against Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the head of the Russian Armed Forces, General Valery Gerasimov.
At the end of June the push made rapid progress, captured Rostov and entered Russian territory.
Six Russian army helicopters and one plane were reportedly shot down in the clash.
But the uprising did not succeed in its objectives, as Prigogine negotiated peace through Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko before reaching Moscow.
It stopped amid the prospect of a bloodbath on the outskirts of Moscow where authorities had deployed thousands of special forces troops.
A deal was brokered by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko.
Under this, Wagner’s forces – including Prigogine – would move into Belarus.
All charges against the leader of the Wagner Group were eventually dropped in favor of the move.
Finally, three weeks later, a significant number of Wagner mercenaries are arriving in Belarus.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, boss of the Wagner group, apparently fled to Belarus after the June uprising
Boxes, military equipment and a Soviet-era light machine gun were found in the car
Billionaire Prigogine – who faced treason charges until Putin withdrew – appears to be free to move between Belarus and Russia unhindered.
He was previously seen as close to the dictator after hosting lavish Kremlin banquets for Putin and running an internet troll factory supporting the Russian leader.