Prigozhin Nixed Putin Offer To Join Russian Army

Wagner mercenary group head Yevgeniy Prigozhin has rejected an offer to his fighters to serve as a unit in Russia's army, President Vladimir Putin said, Jaroslav Lukiv reported for BBC News.

Photo Insert: The talks between Putin and Prigozhin were held just days after Wagner's aborted mutiny on 23-24 June that challenged the former's authority.

He told Kommersant newspaper that many group commanders had backed the plan to be led by a senior Wagner figure during recent talks in Moscow. He said Prigozhin's reply was "the guys do not agree with this decision."

The talks were held just days after Wagner's aborted mutiny on 23-24 June that challenged Putin's authority.

Under the deal that ended the short-lived rebellion, the mercenaries were told they could join the regular Russian army or head to Belarus, a close ally of Russia.

Wagner has fought some of the bloodiest battles since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. However, the US military now assesses that the group is no longer "participating in any significant capacity in support of combat operations in Ukraine."

The comments were made on Thursday by Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder, who also said that "the majority" of Wagner fighters were believed to still be in areas of Russian-occupied Ukraine.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic