Minsk [Belarus], July 19 : In a video that surfaced on Wednesday, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner, appears to be welcoming his fighters in Belarus, CNN reported.
If true, it would mark Prigozhin's first public appearance since he and his mercenaries organised an armed rebellion in Russia last month.
In a video, which was reposted on Prigozhin's account after being posted on pro-Wagner Telegram channels on Wednesday, features a man who looks and sounds like Prigozhin, saying, “Welcome guys! I am happy to greet you all. Welcome to the Belarusian land! We fought with dignity! We have done a lot for Russia.”
In the video, a fighter appears to address the Wagner leader as "Yevgeny Viktorovich," which is Prigozhin's first name and patronymic. The metadata on file suggests that the video was likely created on Wednesday at dawn, and it appears unedited.
CNN cannot determine with certainty that the speaker is Prigozhin or when the video was shot because it is blurry and shot in poor light. The clip is being geolocated by CNN.
The Wagner leader appeared to reiterate in the video his previous criticisms of the planning and conduct of military actions in Ukraine by the Russian Ministry of Defence.
Prigozhin said, “What is happening now at the front is a disgrace in which we do not need to participate. We need to wait for the moment when we can prove ourselves fully.”
He added, “Therefore a decision was taken for us to station here in Belarus for some time. I am sure that during this time we will make the Belarusian army second greatest in the world. And if needed, we will defend them if it comes to it.”
“I want to ask everyone to really pay attention to the fact that Belarusians welcomed us not only as heroes, but also as brothers,” said Prigozhin.
Further, the Wagner chief suggests them that their stay in Belarus could be for a while and also called on his fighters to prepare to travel elsewhere.
He said, “We should prepare, get better and set off on a new journey to Africa,” adding, “Maybe we will return back (to Ukraine) when we will be confident that we will not be asked to make an embarrassment of ourselves and our experience.”
Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, took credit for arranging the agreement between Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin that put an end to the insurrection. Since then, Lukashenko has invited the Wagner forces to Belarus to assist in the military training of his nation.
According to a CNN examination of satellite images and videos from social media, Wagner fighters entered Belarus on Tuesday. A previously abandoned military base in Belarus was where the first Wagner force convoy arrived; at least two other convoys were en route.
While everything was going on, rumors persisted over the whereabouts of Wagner head Prigozhin.
Lukashenko asserted that Prigozhin had arrived in Belarus after the insurrection was put down.
However, no one was able to confirm that for weeks. Then, earlier this month, Lukashenko changed his position and told CNN that Prigozhin was in St Petersburg and might be going "to Moscow or elsewhere."
Prighozin was alive and at liberty as of Wednesday, according to the head of Mi6.
In order to put a stop to the brief rebellion, he asserted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had no alternative but to come to an arrangement with the Wagner leader, claiming that Putin "cut a deal to save his skin," CNN reported.
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