Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner’s mercenaries who marched to Moscow this weekendHe said that his mutiny revealed the existence of major security problems in Russia.
The oligarch explained that his units managed to neutralize “all” the Russian military units during their march and specified that they received support from the civilians where they were passing.
Also known as Putin’s chef, he also assured that it was never his intention to overthrow the Moscow regime, in his first message after his exile in Belarus, dbroadcast on Wagner’s Telegram channel.
“The aim of the march was to prevent the destruction of Wagner and hold to account officials who, through their unprofessional actions, have made a great number of mistakes. We are not marching to overthrow the leadership of Russia,” he said.
Prigozhin justified his attempted rebellion as part of his disputes with the Ministry of Defense and insisted on the bombing of Wagner’s camps, although this time he reduced the casualties to around thirty.
“I was categorically against the decision to shut down Wagner on July 1, 2023 and bring it into the Defense Ministry,” he said.
The head of the mercenaries also praised the role of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in reaching the agreement that ended the riot.
Last Sunday, Wagner’s forces under Prigozhin stopped their advance on Moscow after negotiations with Putin and “to avoid bloodshed.”
“We reached 200 kilometers from Moscow, during this time we did not shed a single drop of blood from our fighters. Now is the time when blood can be shed. Therefore, understanding the responsibility that Russian blood will be spilled on one side, we turned our columns and headed in the opposite direction to the field camps according to the planned plan,” Prigozhin explained.
The announcement was made after Lukashenko held talks with Prigozhin, during which he agreed to detain his troops and “de-escalate the situation”, according to Lukashenko’s press service.
“Prigozhin accepted Lukashenko’s proposal to stop Wagner’s movements on Russian territory and to adopt new measures to reduce tension,” the Rossiya 24 media quoted.
The presence of Prigozhin in the territory of Belarus has not yet been fully confirmed, although it is speculated that this satellite country of Moscow will be the new headquarters of the mercenary group.
