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A man who says he is a Wagner Group field commander has recorded a video in which he warns that the paramilitary outfit led by Yevgeny Prigozhin is "ready for global events and turmoil."
Claiming to be speaking from Belarus, the man, who says his Wagner Group call sign is "Berserk," appears to hint that the group which advanced on Moscow under Prigozhin's command on June 24 is getting ready for the real fight that is "just beginning."
Newsweek has been unable to verify the authenticity of the video, and has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry via email for comment.
Prigozhin hasn't been officially sighted since he departed by car from Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia on June 24. Hours earlier, he led Wagner fighters in a "march for justice" from Russia's southern region towards the capital, only pulling back after the Kremlin said a deal had been brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
During his mutiny he had demanded the resignations of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, over their handling of the war in Ukraine.
Twitter user Dmitri, from War Translated, an independent project that translates materials about the war, shared the video on Thursday, writing that the man "seems to be hinting at having a good rapport with a 'unit that got stuck on the way to Rostov,' which is likely to be the Akhmat unit."
The "Akhmat" special forces unit is led by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. The fighters were deployed to Russia's Rostov region to resist Prigozhin's mutiny last month, but quickly withdrew, Russia's state-run news agency Tass reported at the time.
"On behalf of the field commanders' council, I'd like to tell everyone who lost their spirit that this is all just the beginning. Our march for justice showed a lot of interesting things," the man, wearing a Wagner Group patch on his uniform, said in the video.
"Without saying directly, I'll only mention that certain units of the [Ministry of Defense] that were allegedly stuck in traffic, did arrive in the end to Rostov. In the first minutes, their commander—a very decent officer, found dialogue with our [men]," he said.
The Wagner Group and the units "arrived at very interesting conclusions which eliminate some of our previous arguments."
"Thus, you should know that there are like-minded people among your loyal footmen. Together we are strong. So I'm happy to please many of our supporters," he continued.
"Friends, it's all just beginning. PMC Wagner and its path is far from over. We're ready for global events and turmoil that the country and we are waiting for. Thanks to all who supported us for being with us. Together we're strong. Amen," the man added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this week that Putin and Prigozhin held a lengthy meeting on June 29, where the Russian leader "gave an assessment of the company's actions at the front" during the war in Ukraine.
Under the deal supposedly brokered by Lukashenko, Prigozhin and his fighters were to relocate to Belarus. But just days ago the Belarusian leader announced that Prigozhin was in Russia, not Belarus.
The Kremlin has attempted to downplay Prigozhin's rebellion. Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, has dismissed the mutiny as a mere scuffle.
And on Thursday, Putin told the Kommersant newspaper that as there is no law on private military organizations in Russia, "Wagner does not exist."
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About the writer
Isabel van Brugen is a Newsweek Reporter based in Kuala Lumpur. Her focus is reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war. Isabel ... Read more