Wagner private military company boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has left Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don in southwestern Russia, new video shows. The video, posted to Telegram, and geolocated and authenticated by CNN, shows Prigozhin sitting in the backseat of a vehicle. Crowds cheer and the vehicle comes to a stop as an individual approaches it and shakes Prigozhin's hand. He is heard saying "All the best" to the people gathered before the vehicle drives off. Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti quoted an unnamed eyewitness that said Prigozhin left the headquarters "with the fighters." It's the first time Prigozhin has been seen in public since he announced that his troops would "turn back" from Moscow and return to "field camps." It is unclear where Prigozhin is currently en route to, but per the apparent deal, he is expected to be sent to Belarus and not face any criminal charges. The video follows other clips posted to Telegram, also geolocated and authenticated by CNN, that show Wagner forces withdrawing from their positions at the military headquarters, crowds surrounding a Wagner vehicle convoy and people cheering the forces after it was announced they would turn back. Before the Wagner forces were seen leaving, video from Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti showed a Russian military police vehicle arriving at the military headquarters. Meanwhile, criminal charges against Wagner boss Prigozhin will be dropped and he will be sent to neighboring Belarus, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. "You will ask me what will happen to Prigozhin personally?" Peskov said in a conference call with reporters Saturday. "The criminal case will be dropped against him. He himself will go to Belarus." Peskov's office later added in a text message to journalists that Prigozhin has a guarantee from Russian President Vladimir Putin to leave the country as part of the deal brokered to halt the march of Wagner forces toward Moscow. "If you ask what kind of guarantee there is that Prigozhin will be able to leave for Belarus, this is the word of the President of Russia," Peskov's office said. "The counter-terrorist operation regime will be lifted in the nearest future." Earlier Saturday, the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced the introduction of a "counter-terrorist operation regime" in Moscow, as well as the Moscow region and Voronezh region. Moscow's mayor also declared Monday a "non-working day." In a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesperson Peskov provided details about what he described as an agreement struck with Prigozhin, the boss of the Wagner private military company, to halt a march of his forces toward Moscow. "An agreement was reached on the return of PMC Wagner to their locations. "Part of those who will wish to do so, will sign contracts with the Ministry of Defense — this concerns those who did not take part in the march, indeed, there were such formations which, from the very beginning, changed their minds and returned. "They even requested to be escorted by the traffic police and other assistance in order to return to their permanent locations," he said. Wagner fighters will not face legal action for taking part in the march, Peskov added, saying that the Kremlin has "always respected their heroic deeds" on the front lines in Ukraine. Prighozhin has provided scant details about his agreement to about-face. Peskov said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was able to draw on a personal relationship with Prigozhin to broker the deal. "The fact is that Alexander Grigoryevich [Lukashenko] has known Prigozhin personally for a long time, for about 20 years," Peskov said. "And it was his personal proposal, which was agreed with Putin. We are grateful to the president of Belarus for these efforts." Earlier this month, Prigozhin had refused to sign contracts with Russia's Defense Ministry, rejecting an attempt to bring his force in line. The Defense Ministry said that "volunteer units" and private military groups would be required to sign a contract. In another development, former Russian member of Parliament Sergey Markov described Wagner private military company boss Prigozhin as "extremely aggressive" but said he was never a threat to Putin. "They support Prigozhin fighting against Ukrainian army but not against Vladimir Putin," Markov told CNN's Christiane Amanpour late Saturday local time, citing Putin's popularity now being at "about 80%." Markov said that it was "really good news" that Prigozhin had ordered Wagner mercenary columns to turn back from an advance toward Moscow, adding that "a lot of Moscow are happy about this." Markov told Amanpour that he had been expecting a deal like the one allegedly negotiated by Lukashenko to happen, as both Russian sides in the conflict were "in a deadlock." "That's why a lot of Russian militarists see Wagner fighters not as enemies but as real heroes because they don't want to take part in the military clashes between them," Markov said. — CNN
