According to Evgueni Prigojine, the aim of the rebellion was to save Wagner, not to topple Putin – Liberation

The head of the paramilitary group said on Monday, June 26, that his goal was to avoid being absorbed by the Russian military in his first audio message since the end of the rebellion.

Yevgeny Prigozhin spoke for the first time since he ordered his men to retreat less than 400 kilometers from Moscow on Saturday evening. This Monday, June 26, the eleven-minute audio streamed on Telegram. “Our goal is not Overthrow the existing regime and constitutionally elected government. For a captain accustomed to insults, the tone is almost conciliatory, though he can’t help but oscillate between justifications and provocations.

“There was Wagner to be dissolved We objected to this decision”. He explains. Many observers believed since Saturday that the mutiny may have actually been sparked by a law on volunteers announced in mid-June to force private military companies to sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry before July 1. This arrangement would have deprived the Warlord of all influence. Prigogine claims to have met his commanders in council, who almost unanimously refused to comply with this obligation. “No one has agreed to sign an agreement with the Ministry of Defense, which everyone knows will result in a total loss of our combat capabilities. Experienced fighters will be killed.He says.

“It was clear there was going to be a lot of bloodshed.”

Ironically, Prigozhin also says his men are gathering their equipment in preparation for a public deposition in front of Russian military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don on June 30. At the time, he says his men were targeted by a Russian attack with rockets and helicopters, which would have killed about 30 of his squad. No trace of this attack has ever been found, and the collection of equipment mentioned by Prigozhin may correspond to the preparation of columns for the mutiny.

To explain the sudden end of his plot, on Saturday evening, the mercenaries maintained the same story. When would his men have stopped? “The First Assault Division positioned its artillery and began to reconnoitre the area. It was clear then that a lot of blood would be spilled. And, he repeated, no target To overthrow the government“, But”“Hold the officials who have committed massive errors in their professional actions to face their responsibilities”. Understand, we didn’t blame Putin, we blamed the military. “The rally highlighted the serious security issues of the country. He insists. We intercepted all military units in our way.

Mercenaries are invisible

His version of the facts matches the official story, citing the mediation of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. “Committed to reach and settle solutions for the legal continuity of the business of the Wagner Group”. The agreement negotiated by the latter provided in theory for Prigozhin’s expulsion to Belarus. But since leaving Rostov to applause, the mercenary has been out of sight. According to the Telegram Brief channel, he arrived at the Green City Hotel in Minsk. However, the information was not confirmed by the hotel or the Belarusian authorities.

Despite the circumstances and his future disorder, Prigozhin couldn’t help but show off. “In twenty-four hours, we covered a distance similar to the distance Russian troops were to reach Kiev on February 24, 2022, he said. Had it been carried out by men of Wagner’s training, temperance and readiness, the special operation would have lasted only one day. We gave a masterclass on how February 24th should have been.