For the first time since the end of the Wagner uprising, its boss, Prigozhin, has spoken out: he denies having sought a change of power. They went out to demonstrate protest.
The head of the Russian mercenary unit Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, denied in his first speech after the unsuccessful uprising at the weekend that he had sought a change of power in Moscow. “We went to demonstrate protest, not to overthrow the authorities in the country,” said the 62-year-old in a voice message distributed by his press service on Telegram. Prigozhin did not provide any information about his current whereabouts.
Once again he repeated his accusation against the Russian Ministry of Defense of shelling military camps of mercenaries last Friday. According to him, 30 Wagner fighters were killed. In addition to the dissolution of the Wagner troupe intended by the ministry, this was the trigger for the march towards Moscow.
Prigozhin reports shooting down of flying objects
Prigozhin, who was long considered a confidant of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin but was branded a traitor after the uprising began, admitted that there were casualties in the advance. “During our march, not a single soldier was killed on the ground. We regret that we were forced to shoot down flying objects – but that’s because they bombed us,” he said.
According to reports from Russian military bloggers, six helicopters and one Russian army plane were destroyed and their crews killed in the clash. Officially, the Russian leadership has not acknowledged these losses.
“Serious security issues” in Russia
Prigozhin, in turn, praised the march on Moscow as an example of how the attack on Ukraine ordered by Putin on February 24, 2022 should have taken place. A rapid advance of your own units, eliminating all enemy military objects along the way – and with practically no casualties. On their own side, two soldiers died and several mercenaries were injured, said Prigozhin.
The Wagner boss went on to say in his audio message that his troops’ military column had advanced 780 kilometers in Russia and reached around 200 kilometers from Moscow. The mercenaries “blocked all military infrastructure” including air bases along the route. “The march has highlighted serious security problems in the country,” he said. At the same time, he assured that civilians in towns along the route had supported his people. “The civilians came towards us with Russian flags and Wagner badges, they were happy when we arrived and passed them.”
Wagner boss emphasizes the role of Lukashenko
Until recently, the Wagner mercenary unit played a significant role in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, particularly during the month-long bloody storming of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. According to media reports, tens of thousands of armed people were killed. The battle was not declared over until early June, and Prigozhin withdrew his units from the embattled city to replenish them in the rear.
Prigozhin stressed the role of Belarus’ ruler Alexander Lukashenko in ending the uprising. He mediated a peaceful solution to prevent bloodshed in Russia. According to information from the Kremlin, after the end of the revolt, Prigozhin should leave for Belarus.