The leader of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has released an 11-minute audio message after leading a march on Moscow. Here is an edited transcript of what he said:
The Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) is probably the most experienced and combat-ready unit in Russia, and possibly in the world. (It is made up of) Motivated fighters, who have performed a huge number of missions in the interests of Russia – in Africa, in Arab countries and around the world. Most recently, this unit has achieved good results in Ukraine. (Yet) As a result of…ill-conceived decisions, this unit was due to cease to exist on 1 July 2023.
A council of commanders met and passed this information (that they would be amalgamated into the Russian army) on to the fighters themselves…Those (Wagner) fighters who have decided that they are ready to move to…(the Russian army) have done so. But this number is estimated at two per cent (of Wagner fighters)…
We have been adamantly opposed to what they (the Russian Ministry of Defence) want to do…the decision to move us to the Ministry of Defence was made at the most inopportune moment.
Nevertheless, we were…collecting everything that was needed (to facilitate the transition).
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