Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has spoken out on his Telegram account after nearly two days of silence. At the same time, Russian media state that the Russian security service FSB has not closed the criminal investigation against Prigozhin. But the insurgent’s whereabouts are still unclear.
Prigozhin’s statement is an eleven-minute audio recording, AFP reports, and its content and authenticity are being reviewed.
According to the first reports, Prigozhin says that the coup march was a way to save the future of the Wagner group – not to overthrow power in the Kremlin.
The question is whether Prigozhin will also leave a message about the future of the Wagner group and who will lead it.
Investigation is in place
The information that the investigation into Prigozhin was to be dropped was said to be an essential part of the deal that led to Prigozhin halting the advance of Wagner forces on Moscow on Saturday.
But the investigation was still ongoing on Monday morning, which the daily newspaper Kommersant reports. Russia’s state-run news agencies announced shortly afterwards that they had received this confirmation from high-ranking sources.
Propaganda media: Need to be punished
Prigozhin is suspected of trying to organize an armed rebellion, which could lead to a maximum of 20 years in prison. But even if that particular investigation is closed, there are at least ten other crimes that he could be suspected of, the news service points out Mozjem Objasnit : from the murder of the Russian soldiers killed to the fact that on paper it is illegal to have a private army in Russia.
In Russia’s propaganda media, several prominent commentators are raising their voices because Prigozhin needs to be properly punished – not least with reference to the ten Russian soldiers who were killed during the advance of the Wagner forces.