After an abortive Russian rebellion, Wagner’s leader breaks his silence.
Russian mercenary commander Yevgeny Prigozhin has stated that he “didn’t want to overthrow the government” in his first public statements since allegedly leading a rebellion against President Vladimir Putin.
Prigozhin denied attempting to assault the Russian state in an audio message released Monday evening, saying he acted in reaction to an attack on his team that killed 30 of his warriors.
Russia was thrown into chaos on Saturday when Wagner soldiers departed Ukraine and began marching hundreds of kilometers toward Moscow on a “march for justice.” It was the culmination of Prigozhin’s long-running dispute with Russia’s military hierarchy.
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Following a compromise mediated by Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin agreed to halt his march on the city.
“We went as a demonstration of protest, not to overthrow the government of the country,” Prigozhin said in an 11-minute audio.
“Our march showed many things we discussed earlier: the serious problems with security in the country.”
He didn’t say where he was or what his plans were for the future.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly claimed Prigozhin had openly demolished Putin’s rationale for the Ukraine conflict and that the march represented an “unprecedented challenge” to the President’s power.
“Cracks are emerging in Russian support for the war,” he told parliament on Monday.
Russia’s three main news agencies reported on Monday that a criminal case against Prigozhin had not been closed, despite an offer of immunity having been publicised as part of the deal that persuaded him to stand down.
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