Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday morning issued his first statement since his aborted insurrection over the weekend.
In an 11-minute audio clip, Prigozhin said he had no intention of overthrowing Russian leader Vladimir Putin or toppling the entire Russian state but was only defending his Wagner mercenary organization against corrupt elements of the Russian military.
“We didn’t march to overthrow Russia’s leadership,” Prigozhin said. “The aim of the march was to avoid the destruction of Wagner and to hold to account the officials who, through their unprofessional actions, have committed a massive number of errors.”
Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin attends the meeting with investors at the 2nd Eastern Economic Forum on September 2, 2016, in Vladivostok, Russia (Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images) // Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen during the…
