© Reuters. SUBMIT PICTURE: Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin leaves the head office of the Southern Armed Force District in the middle of the group’s pullout from the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023. REUTERS/Alexander Ermochenko/File Image
2/2
( Reuters) – Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin stated in a voice message released on Monday that his Wagner group was not presently hiring fighters however was most likely to do so in future.
The future of Wagner and Prigozhin has actually been uncertain considering that he led a brief mutiny versus the Russian defence facility in late June and the Kremlin stated he and a few of his fighters – who have actually battled in a few of the fiercest fights of the Ukraine war – would leave for Belarus.
Regardless Of that, Prigozhin participated in a conference with Putin 5 days after the mutiny and was photographed recently in St Petersburg, where President Vladimir Putin was hosting African leaders.
” Today we are specifying our next jobs, whose summary is ending up being clearer and clearer. Undoubtedly, these are jobs that will be performed in the name of the success of Russia,” a voice seeming like Prigozhin’s stated in the message. It was released on Grey Zone, a Telegram channel connected with Wagner.
After the June mutiny, the Kremlin stated Wagner fighters who had actually not participated would move to the routine army, signing agreements with the Defence Ministry.
Obviously mentioning this, Prigozhin stated in the voice message that “sadly” a few of his fighters had actually relocated to other “class structure”, however he stated they were wanting to return.
” As long as we do not experience a lack in workers, we do not prepare to perform a brand-new recruitment,” Prigozhin stated.
” Nevertheless, we will be very grateful to you if you communicate with us, and as quickly as the Motherland requires to produce a brand-new group that will have the ability to safeguard the interests of our nation, we will definitely begin hiring.”
Considering that the mutiny, some Wagner fighters have actually relocated to Belarus and began training its army. In remarks released recently, Prigozhin likewise stated Wagner was prepared to additional boost its existence in Africa.
Its function there, particularly in assistance of federal governments in Mali and Central African Republic, provides issue for Western federal governments. The United States has actually implicated it of dedicating extensive atrocities and enforced sanctions on it as a criminal organisation.
Prigozhin states it operates in line with the laws of the nations where it runs. Recently he invited a military coup in the west African state of Niger and made what seemed a pitch for his fighters to bring order there.
.