Yevgeny Prigozhin recorded another audio message in which he criticized Vladimir Putin, saying that he was wrong and that the PMC would not obey his demands.
“About the betrayal of the motherland. The president was deeply mistaken. We are patriots of our homeland, we fought and are fighting, all the fighters of Wagner PMC. And no one is going to turn themselves in at the request of the president, the FSB or anyone else, because we do not want the country to live on in corruption, deceit and bureaucracy. When we fought in Africa, we were told that we needed Africa, and after that they abandoned it, because they stole all the money that was supposed to go to help. When we were told that we were at war with Ukraine, we went and fought. But it turned out that ammunition, weapons, all the money that was put on them, are also stolen, and the bureaucrats are sitting, saving them for themselves, just for the case that has come today – when someone goes to Moscow. Now they are not saving anything, they are hitting with planes and helicopters on the columns where the civilians are walking. At the same time, they hit the civilians, because they don’t hit, and they hit anywhere. Therefore, we are patriots, and all those who oppose us today are those who have gathered around the scum."
Earlier, Vladimir Putin, in an emergency speech, called Prigozhin's actions a betrayal and betrayal of the country, the people and the fighters of the Wagner PMC. He promised that all who embarked on the path of rebellion "will suffer inevitable punishment."
“Internal turmoil is a mortal threat to our statehood. And our actions will be tough. All who deliberately embarked on the path of betrayal will suffer inevitable punishment. They will answer before the law and before our people. The armed forces have received appropriate orders,” Putin said.
He also added that "decisive actions will be taken to stabilize the situation in Rostov-on-Don." According to him, the situation there "remains difficult – the work of civil and military authorities is practically blocked."
Putin did not mention Prigozhin's name in his appeal, but he did mention the "heroes of Wagner". He called on the Wagnerites to "stop participating in criminal activities."
Putin also drew a parallel with 1917, when a revolution took place in Russia at the height of the First World War, after which the collapse of the army and the state began, and then a civil war. “Then they stole our victory in the war, dragged us into chaos and anarchy. We will not let this happen again,” he said.