Prigozhin returns to Russia, mercenaries' fate unclear

STORY: Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Russia's Wagner Group mercenary organization, is said to have returned to Russia from exile in Belarus after the stunning attempted mutiny he staged in Russia last month.

And, it's still not clear what ultimate fate awaits him or his mercenaries. The exile was one of the conditions that ended the revolt.

President Alexander Lukashenko announced Thursday (July 6) that Prigozhin had left Belarus and was in St. Petersburg or Moscow.

Flight-tracking data shows a private jet linked to Prigozhin flew from St. Petersburg to Moscow on Wednesday, and was continuing to move around the country Thursday, although it's not known if he was aboard.

Lukashenko says Prigozhin is a free man and added that Russia's President Vladimir Putin quote, won't "wipe him out."

The Kremlin says they aren't following his movements but confirmed that his exile was part of the deal.

If Prigozhin is allowed to return to Russia with impunity, it would raise new questions about Putin's authority in the wake of the mutiny. He said last week that Russia is more united than ever.

Russia's state television reported that an investigation into the mutiny was still ongoing.

It launched a fierce attack on Prigozhin Thursday, with a report looking at his luxurious residence, showing an arms cache, personal helicopter, cash, and other items. The host of the show, a lawmaker, called him a traitor.

The status of his mercenaries is also unknown. Lukashenko says the question of Wagner units relocating to Belarus hasn't been resolved, and would depend on decisions by Moscow and the mercenaries.

Lukashenko had offered to station some Wagner fighters in his country after the mutiny - which has alarmed NATO.

It's an offer he says that still stands.