Listen to Prigozhin’s latest statement after Wagner rebellion in Russia

Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has issued his first public statement since an aborted armed rebellion he staged in Moscow on Saturday, 24 June.

Prigozhin claimed he had never intended to overthrow Putin’s government.

In his first public comments since Saturday’s dramatic events, he said the one-day mutiny was intended to be a protest at the ineffectual conduct of the war in Ukraine.

He said: “We started our march because of injustice.

We turned around in order not to shed the blood of Russian soldiers.”

Prigozhin spoke in an 11-minute audio message released on the Telegram messaging app.