After its march toward Moscow, what’s next for Russia’s Wagner Group?

Members of Wagner Group stand on the balcony of a building in the city of Rostov-on-Don on Saturday.

Roman Romokhov/AFP via Getty Images

The mood in Russia appeared to be calmer on Sunday, a day after the Wagner Group halted its advance toward Moscow and averted a possible confrontation with the Russian military.

The mercenary group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin marched to the outskirts of Moscow before Prigozhin warned that “the moment has arrived when blood could be spilt” and ordered his forces to turn back.

Nicknamed “Putin’s chef,” Prigozhin was once a close confidant of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the Wagner Group has been an indispensable part of Russia’s military engagements in Ukraine and other parts of the world, including Africa and South America.

But Prigozhin’s weekend rebellion against Russia’s top military brass may have upended the soldier’s fortunes.

Prigozhin won’t face charges for the mutiny, according to the Kremlin, but he’s been branded a “traitor” by Putin and the Kremlin said he would head to neighboring Belarus.

Meanwhile, it’s unclear whether the Wagner Group will be disbanded and what impact such a move could have in Ukraine and other conflict zones where Wagner mercenaries have been operating.

A feud between the Wagner Group and Russian defense officials preceded the uprising

Long before the weekend, the Wagner Group and Russia’s Ministry of Defense had been engaged in a war of words.

Prigozhin accused the Russian military’s top brass of bungling the war effort in Ukraine and claimed that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and others withheld ammunition from Wagner fighters out…