Russian President Vladimir Putin is “deeply mistaken” in accusing the fighters of the paramilitary group Wagner of “treason”, his boss Yevgeny Prigojine said on Saturday, adding that his troops “did not intend to surrender”.
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“With regard to the “treason of the Fatherland”, the president was deeply mistaken. We are patriots,” Prigojine said in an audio recording. “No one is going to surrender at the request of the president, the security services or anyone else,” he added. This is the first time that Mr. Prigojine personally attacks the master of the Kremlin.
The leader of the paramilitary group Wagner also claims to have taken the headquarters of the Russian army in the city of Rostov “without a shot”.