The aim of the rebellion was to rescue Wagner, not to overthrow the Russian government

On Monday, Wagner’s commander, Yevgeny Prigozhin, broke his silence after his forces’ mutiny, with an 11-minute audio message.

Wagner’s commander said, “Our move was not aimed at overthrowing the Russian leadership,” noting that “our march proved the existence of security mistakes in Russia.”

He added, “Russian cities greeted us with flags, and the population was happy with our presence,” adding that “our march showed the extent of the organization that the Russian army must have.”

Prigozhin revealed that the march was aimed at “preventing the group’s destruction,” and expressed regret that “we had to shoot down Russian planes.”

He stressed that “our cessation of action came to prevent the bloodshed of Russian soldiers,” calling for “holding accountable those responsible for mistakes during the military operation in Ukraine.”

And the commander of Wagner continued: “We did not kill any Russian soldier during our advance and took control of the entire city of Rostov.”

And he said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei LavrovToday, Monday, the US ambassador to Moscow “gave signs” that the United States is not involved in the rebellion of the Wagner private military group, and that it hopes for the safety of Russia’s nuclear arsenal, according to the Russian news agency “Tass”.

Lavrov also quoted the US ambassador as saying that the rebellion of Wagner’s mercenaries, on Saturday, is an internal Russian matter.

Fighters from the Wagner Group, led by its chief Prigozhin, advanced on Moscow on Friday to topple what they called Russia’s “corrupt and incompetent” military leadership, before abruptly withdrawing to a Russian-controlled region of eastern Ukraine after a deal with the Kremlin brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.