The Wagner mercenaries would continue their fight and would not – as demanded by Putin – surrender, emphasized Prigozhin, who has his own fully equipped army with tanks and aircraft at his disposal. “We don’t want the country to continue living in corruption, fraud and bureaucracy,” he said. So far, the businessman has been considered a confidant of the president and one of the pillars in the war of aggression against Ukraine. For months he could afford to criticize the military leadership without being held accountable.
Looking at the power apparatus, Prigozhin now said that the Wagner army was first told that Africa was needed, then that was dropped. All funds intended for the aid were stolen. The Wagner Army is also deployed in several African countries.
“When we were told we were at war with Ukraine, we went out and fought. But it turned out that ammunition, weapons and all the money that was invested are also stolen,” Prigozhin said. He had previously repeatedly criticized corruption and bureaucracy, especially in the Ministry of Defense. “We are patriots,” he said now. “And those who oppose us today are the ones who have gathered around the scum.”