Wagner mercenary fighters have left Russian city of Rostov-on-Don - governor

Wagner group fighters have left the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and are headed back to their field camps, the regional governor said.

Heavily armed Russian mercenaries who advanced most of the way to Moscow began turning back on Saturday, de-escalating a major challenge to President Vladimir Putin's grip on power in a move their leader and the Kremlin said would avoid bloodshed.