In a video filmed at dusk using a mobile phone, Yevgeny Prigozhin stated to his Wagner mercenaries in Belarus that they would no longer fight in Ukraine and instructed them to prepare for a “new journey in Africa”.
The leader of the Russian rebel mercenaries, Evgeny Prigozhin, was shown in a video on Wednesday welcoming his fighters in Belarus, informing them that they would not be participating in the war in Ukraine for the time being, but ordering them to gather their forces for Africa. According to Reuters, the video, posted by his press service on Telegram, is the first video evidence of Mr. Prigozhin’s whereabouts since the night of the mutiny.
In the video, whose authenticity Reuters could not immediately verify, a man whose voice and Russian language resemble those of Prigozhin can be heard welcoming his men. The video was posted by Prigozhin’s press service on Telegram.
“Welcome, guys… Welcome to Belarusian soil,” Mr. Prigozhin said. “We have fought honorably,” Mr. Prigozhin stated. “You have done a lot for Russia. What is happening on the front is a shame that we don’t have to get involved in.”
In the video, Prigozhin states that his men should behave well with the locals and orders them to train the Belarusian army and gather their forces for a “new journey in Africa.” “And maybe we will return to the OSM (special military operation in Ukraine) at some point when we are sure that we will not be forced to cover ourselves in shame,” Prigozhin said.
