Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and First Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate Vladimir Alekseyev traveled to Rostov-on-Don to negotiate with Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, who had launched a rebellion.
According to Oxu.Az, lawyer Igor Yeliseyev, who worked with Prigozhin, revealed new details in an interview with Fontanka.
"High-ranking officials tried to call him. Later, Yevkurov and Alekseyev arrived in Rostov. They tried to persuade the leader to change his mind, while he explained his position," Yeliseyev said.
According to the lawyer, Prigozhin tried to pressure the authorities, but it was clear no one would compromise. Yeliseyev noted that he explained to representatives of the security forces that the situation must not lead to bloodshed.
According to him, the conflict was resolved only after the intervention of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who provided certain guarantees to Prigozhin.
Earlier, Prigozhin's lawyer stated that the turning point for the Wagner leader was his visit to the front and a meeting with commanders complaining about ammunition shortages. Yeliseyev also noted that the demand to hand over Wagner's weapons to the Russian Defense Ministry after the capture of Artemovsk was a serious blow to Prigozhin.
Prigozhin's rebellion occurred on June 24, 2023. He initially made a series of accusations against the Russian Defense Ministry and then launched Wagner's march on Moscow. Within a day, his troops passed through several Russian regions and shot down two helicopters and one plane.
In the evening, Prigozhin turned his columns back and, after an agreement with Lukashenko, headed to Belarus. On August 23 of the same year, the Wagner leader's plane crashed in the Tver region. Onboard the business jet were Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin, and Valery Chekalov.
