In the last few moments, Alexander Lukashenko has started speaking to journalists about the Wagner Group’s 24-hour mutiny in Russia.

After the events took place, the Belarusian president says he gave all the orders to bring the army to full combat readiness and all forces, including the police, were placed on full alert.

Lukashenko was reportedly responsible for brokering the Wagner withdrawal before offering Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin exile. But he insists he is not a “hero” - and nor are Vladimir Putin or Prigozhin.

“I said: in any case, do not make a hero out of me, neither of me nor of Putin nor of Prigozhin, because we let the situation slip from our hands, and then we thought that it would resolve itself, but it did not. And two people who were fighting at the front collided. There are no heroes in this case”, - said Lukashenko.