Watch | Wagner chief Prigozhin releases first video since failed coup against Putin

Months after attempting an unthinkable but failed military coup against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Wagner Group chiefYevgeny Prigozhin appeared in his first video address.

In the footage posted on the Telegram channel linked to the mercenary group, Prigozhin can be seen in combat gear standing in a desert with a rifle in his hand, stating he is in Africa.

"We are working. The temperature is +50 - everything as we like. Wagner PMC conducts reconnaissance and search actions, makes Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free," he can be heard saying in the video.

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The Wagner boss added that his mercenary group continues to recruit fighters who“will fulfil the tasks that were set”. Notably, the video carries a telephone number for those who want to joinPrigozhin's group.

⚡️#BREAKING Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared in a video for the first time in a while, this time from Africa and invites people to join the ranks of Wagner PMC. pic.twitter.com/gSb8YaqMp9 — War Monitor (@WarMonitors) August 21, 2023

The failed coup attempt

Surprising almost everyone, Prigozhin on June 24 announced a coup against Putinafter growing discontent against thetop Russian defence officials for overlooking Wagner Group's needs.

The mercenary group and its troopstook control of Rostov-on-Don - one of Russia’s largest cities but did not proceed further saying that they want to avoid “shedding Russian blood” and agreed to live in exile in Belarus.

Initially, Putin accused the group of treason and sought to eliminate Prigozhin, once Putin’s ally, but Belarusian PresidentAleksandr Lukashenko claimed to have intervened in the matter, and negotiated a peace deal between the two.

Since then, there were rumours thatPrigozhin may have set camp in Belarus to remain away from the wrath of Putin.

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Wagner Group doesn't exist: Putin

While Prigozhin claims he is in Africa, one thingis certain that his mercenary group's future in Russia is over. When questioned about the organisation's future, from the point of view of the Russian legislation, Putin said, "Wagner PMC does not exist".

The president explained that Moscow hadno law on private military companies and, therefore, "there is no such legal entity".

"The [Wagner] Group exists, but it is judicially non-existent," Kommersant’s special correspondent Andrey Kolesnikov quoted Putin as saying.

"The formal legalisation is a separate issue that should be addressed by the State Duma [the lower chamber of the Russian parliament] and the government. It’s a complicated issue."

"Wagner’s ordinary members were fighting with dignity… so it is very regrettable that they became embroiled into these events," said the president.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on Ukraine-Russia war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos

(With inputs from agencies)

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