Russia

The documents, obtained by the Russian investigative Dossier Center, showed that Surovikin had a personal registration number with Wagner, CNN reported. Surovikin is listed along with at least 30 other senior Russian military and intelligence officials, who the Dossier Center said are also VIP Wagner members.

"As I have already said ... the world hasn't collapsed as a result of the sanctions or the departure of Western companies," the Kremlin cited Putin as saying at the plenary session of the third economic forum "Strong Ideas for the New Times" on Thursday. According to the President, Russian entrepreneurs have many more opportunities than before, and are able to "actively occupy vacant niches in the market," as well as identify new niches, which will lead to overall economic growth.

Rumours about his whereabouts -- and his potential role in the short-lived insurrection -- have been swirling in recent days, CNN reported. On Wednesday, the Russian-language version of the Moscow Times cited two anonymous defence sources as saying that Surovikin had been arrested in relation to the failed mutiny.

Although there was no official confirmation of his arrest, The Moscow Times reported citing sources close to the Defence Ministry, saying that the "the situation with him (Surovikin) was not 'OK'". The General, who is also Commander of the Aerospace Forces, has not been seen in public since June 24, the day when Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin launched an armed rebellion against the country's military leadership.

"Halfway you'll just be crushed like a bug,” Lukashenko recalls telling Prigozhin during a call on Saturday, CNN reported, citing Belarusian state media. Lukashenko said Prigozhin told him: "We want justice! They want to strangle us! We will go to Moscow!".“For a long time, I was trying to convince him.

The Russian presence in the crisis-ridden country has been gradually increasing since the last batch of French soldiers, stationed in its former colony from the start of the brutal 2013 civil war, left the capital Bangui in December. There are now almost 2000 Russian citizens in the troubled country - called "military instructors" by Moscow and "mercenaries" from the Wagner Group by the West.

The majority of the fighters of the Wagner group are patriots of Russia, and they were simply used, Putin said in his address to Russian citizens on Monday night, Xinhua news agency reported. "We knew that the vast majority of the fighters and commanders of the Wagner group are also Russian patriots, devoted to their people and state," he said while stressing that they were used without their knowledge during the armed mutiny.

"Due to the absence of threats to life, health, property and other legally protected interests of people, the head of the counter-terrorist operation, the head of the Federal Security Service of Russia for the city of Moscow and the Moscow region decided to cancel the counter-terrorist operation legal regime in Moscow and the Moscow region from 9 a.m. on Monday," said Russia's National Anti-terrorism Committee in a statement.

But much remains uncertain, with experts warning the rare uprising isn’t likely to disappear so quickly without consequences down the line, CNN reported. Putin must now navigate the aftermath of the most serious challenge to his authority since he came to power in 2000.

Spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed that Prigozhin, a Saint Petersburg tycoon who made his initial fortune in catering, “will go to Belarus” He added that Wagner’s fighters will not be persecuted, taking into account their efforts on the frontlines of the Ukraine conflict. Peskov explained that President Vladimir Putin’s team “have.