(Reuters) – Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin announced on Monday that his Wagner group is not recruiting fighters at the moment but may do so in the future.
Speculation has been rife about the future of Wagner and Prigozhin since their short-lived mutiny against the Russian defense establishment in late June. The Kremlin stated that Prigozhin and some of his fighters, who have participated in some of the most intense battles of the Ukraine war, would be heading to Belarus.
Despite this, Prigozhin met with President Vladimir Putin five days after the mutiny and was recently seen in St Petersburg, where Putin was hosting African leaders.
A voice recording that appears to be Prigozhin’s voice, published on the Telegram channel affiliated with Wagner, Grey Zone, stated, “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.”
After the mutiny in June, the Kremlin announced that Wagner fighters who did not participate would join the regular army by signing contracts with the Defense Ministry.
Referring to this development, Prigozhin mentioned in the voice message that some of his fighters had unfortunately moved to other “power structures,” but expressed their intention to return.
“As long as we do not face a shortage of personnel, we do not plan to carry out new recruitment,” Prigozhin stated.
He added, “However, we will be extremely grateful if you remain in contact with us, and as soon as the Motherland needs to create a new group to protect the interests of our country, we will certainly begin recruiting.”
Since the mutiny, some Wagner fighters have relocated to Belarus and have commenced training the Belarusian army. Prigozhin also mentioned last week that Wagner is prepared to expand its presence in Africa.
Western governments are concerned about its role in supporting governments in Mali and the Central African Republic, accusing it of widespread atrocities. The United States has designated Wagner as a criminal organization and imposed sanctions on it.
Prigozhin maintains that Wagner operates in accordance with the laws of the countries it operates in. Last week, he praised a military coup in Niger and appeared to suggest that his fighters could bring order to the country.
(Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
