Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin breaks silence after aborted Russia rebel
R
ussian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has stated he “didn’t want to overthrow the government” in his first spoken feedback since launching an alleged mutiny in opposition to President Vladimir Putin.
In an audio assertion issued on Monday night, Prigozhin denied attempting to assault the Russian state and stated he acted in response to an assault on his drive that killed some 30 of his fighters.
Russia was plunged into disaster on Saturday after Wagner forces left Ukraine and started to maneuver a whole lot of miles in the direction of Moscow on a “march for justice”. It adopted a bitter, long-running feud between Mr Prigozhin and Russia’s army brass.
Mr Prigozhin later agreed to halt the march in the direction of the capital beneath a deal brokered by Belaruasian president Alexander Lukashenko.
“We went as a demonstration of protest, not to overthrow the government of the country,” Mr Prigozhin stated in an 11-minute audio.
“Our march showed many things we discussed earlier: the serious problems with security in the country.”
He didn’t supply any particulars about the place he was or what his future plans are.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly stated that Prigozhin had publicly destroyed Putin’s case for the struggle in Ukraine and that the march was an “unprecedented challenge” to the President’s authority.
“Cracks are emerging in Russian support for the war,” he advised parliament on Monday.
Russia’s three predominant news companies reported on Monday {that a} prison case in opposition to Prigozhin had not been closed, regardless of a proposal of immunity having been publicised as a part of the deal that persuaded him to face down.