The leader of the Russian mercenary group that clashed with Vladimir Putin is reportedly moving to exile in Belarus. 

Wagner Leader Yevgeny Prigozhin called off his troops from advancing towards Moscow as he wanted to “avoid bloodshed”. 

“Mindful of the responsibility that Russian blood might be shed by one of the parties, we're turning our columns around and moving off in the opposite direction to the field camps, according to plan,” he said in a statement. 

Mr Prigozhin will not face prosecution despite previous threats from President Vladimir Putin and has reportedly been exiled to Belarus. 

Mr Prigozhin and the private army broke into the military headquarters in the southern city Rostov-on-Don and had planned to advance on Moscow. 

'The man from the Kremlin is afraid'

Despite the Wagner group calling off further action, many say this threat of a coup will be a major blow to President Putin. 

“The man from the Kremlin is obviously very afraid,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “I'm sure that he's no longer in Moscow. 

“He knows what he's afraid of, because himself created this threat.” 

Security and Defence Analyst Declan Power told Newstalk this threat could lead to other threats against the Kremlin. 

“The Russian military have proved ineffectual against them,” he said. “This could be the thing that causes other political elements in Moscow to unseat Vladimir Putin, or to wrestle control from him.”

2R963AY Russian President Putin attends wreath-laying at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. (Photo: Russian President's Office)

Mr Power said this attack could be as impactful for the Ukrainian war against Russia as D-Day during World War II. 

“When you think about it, the whole concept of the Russian military defending the line... willing to shed significant amounts of blood... that that may be hollowed out,” he said. 

Sky reporter Diana Magnay said there is a lot of “bewilderment” among Russians in Moscow. 

“[There are] questions of whether this is it or what happens next,” she said. “I don’t think people are expecting to see the last of Yevgeny Prigozhin.”