In a voice recording published on Monday afternoon, Prigozhin spoke about Saturday’s march on Moscow.
He believes that the goal of the march was partly to not allow a dissolution of the Wagner group, which he believes would have taken place on July 1, and partly to hold Russian authorities responsible for their “unprofessional actions” and mistakes in the war in Ukraine.
– We marched to show our protest, not to overthrow the government.
SVT’s foreign reporter Berts Sundström says that it is self-defense on the part of the Wagner leader.
– He says that they are the ones who stand for professionalism in this war, while the military leadership are incompetent.
Patriots who were taken advantage of
In a televised address to the Russian nation on Monday night, Putin said the uprising was a criminal act aimed at weakening the country.
– We took all measures to neutralize the danger.
At the same time, he says that most of the Wagner group are patriots who were taken advantage of by those who organized the rebellion.
– Today you have the opportunity to continue serving Russia by signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense, or return to your loved ones. Anyone who wants to can go to Belarus.
He does not mention Prigozhin by name in his speech.
What is Putin’s message in the speech? Hear SVT’s foreign reporter Bert Sundström comment on the speech in the clip above.