Putin's Military Just Got a Huge Increase in Weapons

The Yevgeny Prigozhin-helmed Wagner Group has reportedly handed over a plethora of its weapons and ammunition to the Russian Defense Ministry.

The arms exchange comes over two weeks after the group and its mercenaries gained global attention for a mutiny attempt against Moscow, which lasted less than 24 hours and resulted in a deal brokered between the Kremlin, Prigozhin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, one of Vladimir Putin's closest allies.

Prigozhin is wielding more power in Russia now than he was previously assumed to have, Mikhail Troitskiy, professor of practice at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Newsweek via email.

"He has more pull in Russia—and especially in his native Saint Petersburg—than he was believed to have just a week ago when everyone was making bets on how long it would take Putin to settle scores with Prigozhin, bruised by the failure of his revolt," Troitskiy said.

The arms exchange occurs simultaneously as over 30 world leaders from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member nations have gathered in Vilnius, Lithuania, as part of a two-day summit with the overarching theme of providing Ukraine more weapons and defense as it engages in its ongoing summer counteroffensive—which has become a battle of attrition due to various stockpile shortages and a prepared Russian battlefield front.

The Russian Federation "in accordance with the plan" has received more than 2,000 pieces of equipment and weapons, including hundreds of tanks, multiple models of Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS), an air defense system, self-propelled artillery mounts and armored personnel carriers from the Wagner Group, according to a Telegram post published Wednesday by Russia's state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

It also obtained over 2,500 tons of ammunition and about 20,000 small arms.

The equipment, consisting of dozens of units Russia says have never been used in combat previously, was reportedly delivered to rear areas of military units "where the repair and restoration units of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carry out maintenance and preparation for use."

Newsweek reached out via email to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.

The future of Prigozhin and his paramilitary group remains unknown. As part of the provisions within the deal aided by Lukashenko, Prigozhin and a slew of his mercenaries were expected to seek refuge in Belarus to avoid further conflict with Putin or his top defense officials—as well as potential criminal prosecution by the Kremlin.

But Prigozhin was not in Belarus as of last week, according to Lukashenko, who told local and foreign media that the fiery Wagner leader was in Saint Peterburg. Lukashenko still welcomes him and his men in his country, not believing it will cause any additional threats to him or his people.

Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, told Newsweek via phone that the arms exchange is "no surprise" considering the terms of the prearranged agreement, with the belief that the Wagner Group's role in the war will be different moving forward compared to before the mutiny.

The exact specifics of that deal, including a timetable for Prigozhin to potentially move freely between Belarus and Russia, remain unknown, she added.

"There has been some kind of softening of attitude to Wagner and Prigozhin on the side of the Kremlin," Stanovaya said. "It means that perhaps it was a shock for Putin, that he didn't expect it."

Earlier this week, the Kremlin confirmed that Putin and Prigozhin met June 29—five days after the mutiny attempt had dissolved—and came to some accord.

That meeting may have been some sort of "reconciliation" between Putin and Prigozhin, she added, but not enough to solidify their once close relationship. The Russian Defense Ministry's notice about the weapons exchange, on the same day as the NATO summit, may also be part of an attempt to pacify their citizens.

"It doesn't mean that Prigozhin is forgiven and that Wagner will take its place it had before," she said. "But it means they will not be destroyed; they will not be pressured in a a way expected by experts and journalists."

Prigozhin also has a large sum of money available to "buy influence" inside Russia if necessary, Troitskiy added. As part of Prigozhin's deal with Moscow, he reportedly received approximately 10 billion rubles ($111.2 million) made up of boxes of U.S. dollars and five gold bars.

"Prigozhin does not need to seek refuge in Belarus, Africa or elsewhere. He can easily plot his next move in plain sight from Saint Petersburg where his positions are not weaker than those of Putin," Troitskiy said.

As for Ukraine, they remain hopeful that they—like Sweden and Finland now—will become part of the NATO bloc. World leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, have spoken out against Ukraine joining the alliance while the war remains ongoing.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, tweeted that the situation is difficult due to the extenuating circumstances but thanked allies for continued support. He mentioned the Russian forces receiving additional weapons and ammo.

"The truth is - we're all so tired. Exhausted beyond belief," he wrote. "The war traumatizes people on a massive scale. There's a lot of anger. Our wounded souls and bodies need safety and good news.

"They practically demand to hear the dates when the war will be over and security guarantees. Our minds beg for revenge. But we live in the real world. We do understand reality."

Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Jeffrey Fischer told Newsweek via Signal that he expected more from NATO.

"A roadmap to Ukrainian accession isn't accession," Fischer said. "A commitment for them to join isn't the end state."