Belarus’s leader says he convinced the head of Russia’s Wagner Group to call off a mutiny last weekend that saw heavily armed mercenaries advance to within 120 miles of Moscow. President Alexander Lukashenko said that during a weekend phone call, Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to “wipe out” Wagner’s forces and was considering killing Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. Lukashenko said he later relayed Putin’s comments to Prigozhin in a separate call.

President Alexander Lukashenko: “He says, 'But we want justice! They want to strangle us! We will march on Moscow!' And I say, 'Halfway there, they will squash you like a bug.'”

U.S. intelligence officials have told The New York Times that senior Russian General Sergey Surovikin had advance knowledge of Prigozhin’s plans to rebel against Russia’s military leadership. The Times reports the officials are trying to learn if the general helped plan Prigozhin’s mutiny. On Tuesday, Russia’s embattled Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu — whom Prigozhin has assailed for mismanaging Russia’s war in Ukraine — appeared publicly as President Putin led a Moscow ceremony honoring Russian soldiers and police for their actions during the mutiny.