Mercenary chief’s rebellion has weakened Putin, analysts say, as Russia faces counteroffensive in Ukraine

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, right, sits inside a military vehicle posing for a selfie with a local civilian on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on Saturday. Under terms that ended the crisis, Prigozhin will go into exile in Belarus but will not face prosecution. (Associated Press)

The rebellious mercenary soldiers who briefly took over a Russian military headquarters on an ominous march toward Moscow were gone Sunday, but the short-lived revolt has weakened President Vladimir Putin just as his forces are facing a fierce counteroffensive in Ukraine.

Under terms of the agreement that ended the crisis, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led his Wagner troops in the failed uprising, will go into exile in Belarus but will not face prosecution.