The head of the Russian private military group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, appeared in a video welcoming group fighters in Belarus, stating that they will not participate in the war in Ukraine at this time. In the video, which Reuters has not yet been able to verify, a man resembling Prigozhin can be heard greeting the Wagner troops. Prigozhin's press service shared the video on Telegram.
“What’s happening at the front now is a shame that we don't need to participate in,” Prigozhin stated. He said, “Hello, guys... welcome to the land of Belarus.” The video appears to have been filmed after dark, making it difficult to identify the person who resembles Prigozhin. He noted, “We fought honorably... you have given a lot for Russia. What is happening at the front now is a disgrace we do not need to participate in.”
Prigozhin then instructed his men to treat the local population well and ordered them to train the Belarusian army, gathering strength for a “new journey to Africa.” He added, “And perhaps we will return to the special military operation in Ukraine at some point when we are sure we will not bring shame upon ourselves.”
Following this, a man resembling Dmitry Utkin, who helped establish Wagner, spoke to the troops, saying, “This is not the end. This is just the beginning of the largest operation in the world that will be executed very soon.”
