In the 1st video after the riot, Prigozhin indicates that he is in Africa

The leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, published on Monday (21.Aug.2023) the 1st video speech since he led a riot at the end of June, in Russia. The images were released on Telegram channels and reproduced on social networks.

He appears in a field, wearing military uniform and holding a rifle. From his lines, it is likely that he is in some African country. The leader of the paramilitary group said, quoted by Reuters: “The temperature is over 50°C, just the way we like it. The Wagner Group makes Russia even greater on all continents and Africa freer. Justice and happiness for the African people, we are turning life for ISIS, Al-Qaeda and other bad guys into a nightmare”.

Prigozhin declared that Wagner is “will fulfill the tasks that have been established” and is recruiting new members. according to Reutersthe message sent with the video features phone numbers of representatives of the paramilitary group in Russia and mentions that the organization “resumed work”.

Prigozhin published the first video since the failure of the rebellion

The head of PMC “Wagner” recorded a video from Africa and said that he “performs there the tasks that we promised to solve”. The terrorist also called for volunteers to join the PMC to “defend the freedom of… pic.twitter.com/9ibXb5c30S

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) August 21, 2023

The Wagner Group conducted a mutiny failed against the high echelon of the Russian army in June. The paramilitary group had taken control of the city of Rostov-on-Don, close to the border with Ukraine, with the promise of marching to Moscow to remove from power the government that it classified as “liar, corrupt and bureaucrat”.

Hours after the threat, tensions escalated. Russian President Vladimir Putin ranked the maneuver as a “stab in the back”. He promised, at first, severe punishments to the members of the Wagner Group. According to the Kremlin leader, forces loyal to the country would have received the necessary orders to suppress the rebellion. Prigozhin left Russia and the situation calmed down.

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