BERLIN, June 28. /TASS/. The actions of the Wagner PMC during the last weekend have become a surprise for Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview for ARD Wednesday.

According to the chancellor, Germany’s intelligence "did not know about it in advance, of course." Commenting on reports in US media that the US intelligence allegedly knew about the preparation of the mutiny, Scholz said: "We all will discuss this together [in the West]. Including the situation there are currently speculations about."

On the evening of June 23, several audio recordings were posted on the Telegram channel of Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) founder Yevgeny Prigozhin. In particular, he claimed that his units had come under attack, blaming the Russian military. The Federal Security Service (FSB) launched a criminal probe into calls for armed mutiny. In turn, the Russian Defense Ministry slammed the Wagner boss’ allegations of a strike on the PMC’s "rear camps" as fake news. The PMC units that supported Prigozhin headed to Rostov-on-Don and then turned toward Moscow. Putin, in a televised address to the nation on Saturday, described the Wagner group’s actions as armed mutiny and a betrayal, vowing to take tough measures against the mutineers.

Later on Saturday, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, in coordination with Putin, held talks with Prigozhin, resulting in the PMC standing down, turning its units around, and retreating to their base camps. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a criminal case against the Wagner chief would be dropped, while Prigozhin himself would go to Belarus. In addition, the Russian authorities pledged not to prosecute those Wagner PMC fighters who took part in the mutiny in light of their "frontline achievements.".