What to know about the situation in Russia
- Mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered his forces to turn back from their march on Moscow, saying he was abandoning the armed rebellion to avoid bloodshed.
- The Kremlin said Prigozhin would leave Russia for neighbor and ally Belarus while avoiding criminal charges along with his fighters despite the revolt.
- Senior Biden administration officials were briefed on intelligence indicating that Prigozhin was considering a challenge on Wednesday, June 21, and that “alarm bells” started going off more intensely early in the day Friday, a U.S. official told NBC News.
- President Vladimir Putin had accused Prigozhin of "treason" and vowed to crush the growing armed rebellion. The stunning conclusion to the crisis will leave questions about the Russian leader's authority.