Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin purportedly seen for first time since failed mutiny
Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was purportedly seen greeting his fighters in Belarus in his first public appearance since his mercenary group’s failed mutiny against Russia last month.
A video posted to Telegram Wednesday appears to show Prigozhin promising his fighters they would stay in Belarus for some time and avoid the front lines before calling the Russian Ministry of Defense’s military operations in Ukraine a “disgrace.”
“Welcome, guys! I am happy to greet you all. Welcome to the Belarusian land! We fought with dignity! We have done a lot for Russia,” a man resembling Prigozhin says in the dark and grainy video.
“What is happening at the front now is a disgrace in which we do not need to take part. We must wait for the moment when we can show our worth to the maximum. That’s why it was decided that we will be here in Belarus for some time,” he said.
Prigoszhin goes on to say that he hopes during their stay, they can build up the Belarusian army to become the second-greatest in the world.
“I want to ask everyone to pay maximum attention to the fact that the Belarusians met us not only as heroes but also as brothers,” he added before quipping that “local girls” are already gossiping about the group’s arrival.
The Wagner boss notes that their stay in Belarus may be short, and urges his fighters to prepare to travel to Africa, or possibly Ukraine once they are sure they will not “embarrass” themselves.
The video’s authenticity has not been verified amid speculation that Prigozhin is either dead or jailed following a publicized meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his failed rebellion.
Prigozhin, 62, led troops on a march to Moscow last month as part of a suspected plan to capture top Russian military leaders to demand a military leadership change.
The mercenary group leader quickly called off the plan after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a truce between him and the Kremlin.
Under the agreement, Prigozhin would be spared charges of treason if he agreed to go into exile in Belarus, but Lukashenko said earlier this month that Prigozhin was back in Russia.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian and Polish officials reported that groups of Wagner fighters have been seen arriving in Belarus.
The Belarusian defense ministry released a video Friday showing what it claimed were Wagner mercenaries training Belarusian soldiers at a military range near Osipovichi.
Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also recently said Prigozhin’s failed coup put a target on the Russian’s back.
“I wouldn’t insure his life … Prigozhin clearly took a chance. If you’re going to take on the king, don’t do it with a Nerf bat. He did. It failed,” Pompeo said on WABC 770 AM radio’s “Cats Roundtable” show with host John Catsimatidis.
