Lukashenko confirms Prigozhin currently in Belarus

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed on Tuesday that Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner military group, is currently in Belarus, reported Xinhua, quoting state news agency Belta.

Lukashenko said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is able to provide necessary security guarantees, said the report.

As promised, Lukashenko will allow Wagner members to stay in Belarus for some time, the Belarusian president said, adding that he agreed with Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin who earlier said he "wouldn't mind having such a unit in the army," and asked him to discuss the matter with Wagner representatives, Belta reported.

The new situation developed in Russia following an announcement made by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Chief of the Wagner private military company to launch a march for justice and claimed that he had taken control of Rostov on Don, the command centre for Russia's in Ukraine.

Yevgeny also termed the excuses showed by Russia to attack Ukraine were false and baseless and demanded removal of Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov.

Meanwhile, a criminal case against Yevgeny Prigozhin -- head of Russia's Wagner private military group -- for organizing an armed mutiny has not been closed, local reports said on Monday.

"The criminal case against Prigozhin has not been closed. The investigation continues," Sputnik reported, citing a source in the Russian Prosecutor General's Office.

On Saturday, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that a criminal case was initiated against Prigozhin for incitement to armed insurrection.

This came after several audio recordings were posted on Prigozhin's Telegram channel, where he claimed that his units had allegedly come under attack, accusing Russia's military leadership of orchestrating the strikes.

The security service called the information spread by Prigozhin false, adding that Prigozhin's statements were considered "calls for the start of an armed conflict on Russian territory."