The leader of the Wagner Group of mercenaries, Yevgeny Prigozhin, recorded an 11-minute audio message after leading the uprising on Saturday. In the message, he claimed that his men were heading to Moscow to hold accountable the leaders whom he blamed for "mistakes" in the war in Ukraine.

 

Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner, stated that the war in Ukraine would have ended sooner if his group had been involved. In his message, he highlighted the security problems in Russia revealed during the march to Moscow. He also mentioned the support from the towns they passed through and compared the distance traveled to the Russian invasion in Ukraine. According to Prigozhin, Wagner's intervention would have accelerated the completion of the military operation in Ukraine.

 

He denied that his "march for justice" aimed to overthrow Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

After withdrawing his troops, Prigozhin agreed to leave Russia for Belarus, and his whereabouts are currently unknown.

 

The Saturday uprising represented "a challenge to stability," according to Russia's Prime Minister, who called for unity.

 

Footage showed Moscow's Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, visiting troops fighting in Ukraine on state television, although it is unclear when the recording was made.

 

The United States claims that the uprising was a direct challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin and has exposed "cracks" in his leadership.

 

As of today, there had been no public appearance by Putin since the conclusion of the Wagner rebellion on Saturday night.

 

Previously, a video was released in which he addressed an engineering forum. The original date of the video and its recording location have not been disclosed.

 

What do we know about the Wagner Group?

 

Also known as PMC Wagner or ChVK Wagner, it is characterized as a private military security entity, an organization of armed contractors, or the unofficial contingent of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

This organization gained notoriety in 2014 when its mercenaries supported a group of pro-Russian separatists in the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which led to the annexation of Crimea by Russia. Those who have studied this organization describe it as a private army that uses mercenaries for armed deployments, providing security, or carrying out selective attacks.

 

Geopolitics expert Samuel Ramani stated that 80% of Wagner members are convicts recruited from prisons and mercenaries.

 

Additionally, the Wagner Group is charged with offenses related to the commission of illegal acts during armed conflicts, such as sexual abuse, looting, and mistreatment.