After failed Wagner mutiny, chief Prigozhin spotted for the first time at Russia-Africa Summit

Wagner Group Chief Yevgeny Prighozin, the failed rebellion leader, was recently spotted in St Petersburg during the Russia-Africa summit.

He was clicked shaking hands with a senior official in the Central African Republic (CAR) named Ambassador Freddy Mapouka.

It is important to note that this is the first time Prighozin was seen in public officially since Wagner’s failed mutiny against the Russian defence. The images were shared by Dmitri Syty, the person who reportedly manages Wagner’s operations.

According to BBC, Prighozin and Mapouka met at the Trezzini Palace Hotel in St Petersburg.

Prighozin last seen in Belarus

A video published on several Telegram channels linked to the Wagner group showed Prighozin in Belarus.

Although the authenticity of the video cannot be confirmed, it was the first footage of Prighozin that was made public since the mutiny.

In the video, Prighozin could be heard saying that his fighters had “put up a worthy fight” in Ukraine and had “done a great deal” for Russia. He also criticised the government’s current conduct of war.

“What is currently happening on the front line is a disgrace that we don’t want to have any part in, and we need to wait until we can show our mettle in full,” he said.

“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”, he added.

Wagner’s failed mutiny

Last month, the Wagner group receded their steps from Moscow after reaching halfway to ‘avoid bloodshed,’ hence effectively aborting his mutiny plan.

A deal to halt further movement of Wagner fighters across Russia in return for guarantees of safety for the rebels was brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, his office said.

Russian authorities also dropped charges on the Wagner group after Lukashenko struck a deal between the two parties.

Following this, the group surrendered thousands of tonnes of weapons and ammunition to the Russian Defence Ministry following the failed mutiny.

The ministry said that it has received more than 2,000 pieces of equipment that includes hundreds of tanks. The group has also handed over more than 2,500 tonnes of ammunition.

The handover indicated that Wagner chief Yevgeny Prighozin is abiding by some of the deals brokered with the Kremlin last month after he led an all-out mutiny against Russia’s Defence Ministry, which later failed.