Mercenary Fighters Wagner Group Hand Over Cache of Weapons

Mercenary fighters Wagner Group handed over a large cache of heavy weapons, military equipment and thousands of tons of ammunition to Russia’s Defense Ministry on Wednesday.

Types of Weapons Handed Over

Among them were T-90 and T-80 tanks, multiple rocket launchers and numerous artillery systems, ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in Moscow. In addition, Wagner had handed over 2,500 tons of ammunition of various types and 20,000 firearms, he said.

Video of Heavy Weapons Released

The military leadership released a video of the heavy weapons. All the military equipment will now be serviced and then “put to its intended use,” Konashenkov said.

Wagner Group’s Role in the Conflict

Wagner has repeatedly captured territory, including the town of Bakhmut, in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which has been going on for more than 16 months. Last month, however, Prigozhin instigated an uprising against Moscow.

Rebellion Suppressed and Promised Immunity

He ended the rebellion on June 24, with his forces less than 200 kilometers from Moscow, following the mediation of Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko. In return, he and his fighters were promised immunity from prosecution.

Meeting with President Vladimir Putin

A few days later, Prigozhin and dozens of his Wagner commanders met President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin did not give any details about the results of the meeting. During the uprising, Putin had spoken of “treason.”