Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin reveals Wagner Group's future plans, amid uncertainty and concerns over their activities in Africa.
Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin made a voice message public on Monday, stating that his Wagner group is not currently recruiting fighters, but is likely to do so in the future. The future of Wagner and Prigozhin has been uncertain since their short mutiny against the Russian defense establishment in late June, after which the Kremlin announced that they and some of their fighters, who have been involved in fierce battles in the Ukraine war, would leave for Belarus.
Despite the uncertainty, Prigozhin attended a meeting with President Vladimir Putin five days after the mutiny and was recently photographed in St. Petersburg while President Putin was hosting African leaders.
In the published voice message, a voice resembling Prigozhin's mentioned that they are defining their next tasks for the greatness of Russia, indicating that these tasks will be carried out in the future. "Today we are defining our next tasks, whose outline is becoming clearer and clearer. Undoubtedly, these are tasks that will be carried out in the name of the greatness of Russia," a voice sounding like Prigozhin's said in the message. It was published on Grey Zone, a Telegram channel affiliated with Wagner.
Following the June mutiny, the Kremlin stated that Wagner fighters who did not participate in the mutiny would be integrated into the regular army, signing contracts with the Defense Ministry. Addressing this, Prigozhin expressed regret that some of his fighters had moved to other "power structures," but he also mentioned that they are looking to return.
"As long as we don't experience a shortage in personnel, we don't plan to carry out a new recruitment," Prigozhin said. "However, we will be extremely grateful to you if you keep in touch with us, and as soon as the Motherland needs to create a new group that will be able to protect the interests of our country, we will certainly start recruiting."
Since the mutiny, some Wagner fighters have relocated to Belarus and are involved in training its army. Furthermore, Prigozhin stated that Wagner is ready to expand its presence in Africa. Their role in supporting governments in Mali and the Central African Republic has raised concerns for Western governments, with the United States accusing Wagner of widespread atrocities and imposing sanctions on it as a criminal organization.
Prigozhin maintains that Wagner operates in compliance with the laws of the countries where it operates. Last week, he welcomed a military coup in Niger, suggesting that his fighters could bring order there.