Wagner Leader Breaks Silence With New Audio Message After Attempted Rebellion Against Putin

On Monday, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner Group, released a new audio message expressing gratitude to his supporters and reaffirming his commitment to his cause, following the recent fallout with the Russian government.

What Happened: Prigozhin, in his message on the Telegram messenger, thanked those who supported him and his group in their attempted rebellion against the Kremlin, The Hill reports.

He urged an armed rebellion last month to oust Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and challenged Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s justification for the country’s ongoing war with neighboring Ukraine.

Prigozhin eventually ordered his private army to stop its advance after reaching an agreement in which Russia would drop its charges against him for leading an armed rebellion and he would relocate to Belarus.

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Why It Matters: This development comes after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a deal between Prigozhin and the Russian government, dissuading Putin from assassinating Prigozhin.

Meanwhile, Putin is expected to make his first appearance since the recent Wagner insurrection at a virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a regional security grouping led by Beijing and Moscow, according to an earlier Benzinga report.

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