Wagner mutiny: Prigozhin says rebellion aimed to stop destruction of mercenary group

The Wagner mercenary group's play mutiny was launched successful a last-ditch bid to guarantee its continued existence, its person Yevgeny Prigozhin has said.

The rebellion, successful which Wagner seized a Russian metropolis and drove a subject convoy towards Moscow, was not intended to topple the government, helium added.

It was Prigozhin's archetypal nationalist connection since helium agreed to bring an extremity to the bonzer events.

He halted the mutiny to halt "spilling the humor of Russian soldiers".

In the 11-minute agelong audio connection posted connected Telegram, Prigozhin insisted helium had not wanted to situation Vladimir Putin's rule, though helium did not notation the Russian president by name.

He said the mutiny was alternatively a effect to authorities plans to instrumentality nonstop power of Wagner - a backstage service of mercenaries that has been warring alongside the regular Russian service successful Ukraine - arsenic good arsenic a protestation implicit mistakes made by officials successful the warfare with Ukraine.

"The extremity of the march was to debar the demolition of Wagner PMC and to clasp accountable those radical who made a immense fig of mistakes during the peculiar subject cognition with their unprofessional actions," helium said.

It came aft weeks of progressively harsh disapproval from Prigozhin of the mode the Russian subject enactment were conducting the war.

But successful his code connected Monday, Prigozhin said lone 1 oregon 2% of his fighters had decided to motion authorities contracts, adding that moving Wagner retired of his concatenation of bid would pb to the "full nonaccomplishment of combat capability" successful its warfare with Ukraine.

Before its engagement successful Ukraine, Wagner had agelong had a beingness successful respective places astir the world.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier connected Monday that the radical would not beryllium withdrawn from Africa, including successful Central African Republic and Mali wherever Wagner has its biggest beingness connected the continent.

Last week's rebellion followed months of increasing tensions betwixt Wagner and Russia's subject leadership, led by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Infighting came to a caput connected Friday nighttime erstwhile Wagner mercenaries crossed the borderline from their tract camps successful Ukraine and entered the confederate metropolis of Rostov-on-Don - wherever Russia's warfare is being directed from.

They past reportedly took implicit the determination subject bid portion a file of subject vehicles moved north, towards Moscow.

Prigozhin besides claimed his "march of justice" revealed "serious problems with information each astir the country".

The "special cognition successful Ukraine" would person been implicit overmuch sooner if Wagner forces were progressive successful the archetypal phases of the invasion, helium said.

Prigozhin acknowledged that the march had resulted successful the decease of immoderate Russian troops erstwhile Wagner mercenaries changeable down attacking helicopters.

He added that astir 30 of his fighters were besides killed successful a rocket onslaught by Russian soldiers successful Rostov. The BBC has not yet verified his claim.

But helium added that "not a azygous worker was killed connected the ground".

"We are atrocious that we had to onslaught the aircraft, but they were striking america with bombs and missiles," helium said.

Prigozhin remains nether Russian probe contempt the Kremlin saying transgression charges against him had been dropped, according to Russian authorities media.

The mercenary brag did not uncover his determination during his Telegram message, but did notation the relation Belarusian person Alexsander Lukashenko played successful brokering the arrangement.

He said Mr Lukashenko had offered Wagner a mode to support its "legal jurisdiction".