Wagner boss Prigozhin seemingly makes first public appearance after failed mutiny

Weeks after the failed armed mutiny, chief of Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin has claimed to make what would be is his first public appearance in Belarus. A video has emerged on Telegram channels linked to the mercenary group where a person, appeared to be the Wagner boss, is seen welcoming fighters and describing the recent developments in the Ukraine-Russia conflict a ‘disgrace’.

“Welcome guys! I am happy to greet you all. Welcome to the Belarusian land! We fought with dignity! We have done a lot for Russia,” a man, who resembled Prigozhin, said in the video, as quoted by CNN.

The grainy video, which was shot in low light presumably at dusk, was first shared by pro-Wagner Telegram channels and later shared on Prigozhin's account.

“What is happening now at the front is a disgrace in which we do not need to participate. We need to wait for the moment when we can prove ourselves fully,” he said hinting that Wagner is likely to join the war at a later date.

Several people in camouflaged attire surrounding the Wagner chief can be seen cheering for him in the video, calling him by Prigozhin's first name and patronymic, Yevgeny Viktorovich.

“We should prepare, get better and set off on a new journey to Africa…Maybe we will return back (to Ukraine) when we will be confident that we will not be asked to make an embarrassment of ourselves and our experience,” he said.

According to CNN's analysis of satellite images and social media videos, a convoy of Wagner fighters arrived in Belarus on Tuesday as a previously discussed military base. Two more convoys are set to arrive at the location.

Earlier, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko claimed that he broke a deal between the Wagner boss and Russian President Vladimir Putin which ended the armed mutiny inside Russia in late June. Lukashenko also invited the Wagner fighters to train the military of his country.

"The decision has been taken to stay here in Belarus for a certain time and Wagner would use the time to make the Belarusian army the second army in the world," the person in the video said.

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