Putin spoke to PMC Wagner founder Prigozhin in person five days after mutiny

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the founder of PMC Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin in the Kremlin on June 29, five days after the PMC mutiny, Putin's official spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on July 10.

"The President had such a meeting. He invited 35 people to it — all commanders of detachments and the management of the company, including Prigozhin himself," Peskov said, commenting on the publication that appeared in Liberation.

According to Peskov, the meeting lasted for nearly three hours. He did not specify any details, but said that the president gave his assessment of PMC Wagner's actions at the front during the special military operation, as well as during the days of the mutiny.

Putin offered employment options to PMC Wagner commanders

Putin listened to the commanders of PMC Wagner and "offered them further options for employment and further participation in combat actions," Peskov said.

The commanders of the private military company presented their version of June 24 events to the president during the meeting as well.

"They stressed it out that they were staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and said that they were ready to continue fighting for the Motherland," Dmitry Peskov said.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of PMC Wagner, announced the beginning of the armed mutiny on the evening of June 23. He accused the Russian Ministry of Defence of hitting the rear camps of the company. In the morning, PMC Wagner fighters occupied the building of the headquarters of the Southern Military District in the centre of Rostov-on-Don. Columns of PMC Wagner headed towards Moscow.

On the evening of June 24, the press service of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that Prigozhin agreed to stop the movement of his columns through Russian territory. The criminal case against Prigozhin was subsequently dropped.