Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Monday, in his first public comments since ending a one-day mutiny by his Wagner force on Saturday, that it had been intended to register a protest at the ineffectual conduct of the war in Ukraine, not to overthrow the government in Moscow.
Prigozhin spoke in an 11-minute audio message released on the Telegram messaging app.
President Vladimir Putin on Saturday vowed to crush what he called a treasonous mutiny after Prigozhin said his Wagner Group fighters had taken control of the southern city of Rostov and were heading to Moscow on what he said was a "march for justice" intended to remove corrupt and incompetent Russian commanders.
Under a deal mediated by Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko that defused the crisis late on Saturday, the Kremlin said a criminal case against Prigozhin would be dropped and he would move to Belarus.
His fighters would return to base and would also face no legal action, the Kremlin said.
The investigation continues
However, Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported on Monday that the criminal case remained open and that the Federal Security Service (FSB) was continuing its investigation as part of the case. It cited an unidentified source as saying there had not been enough time to close the case.
Russia's three main news agencies - TASS, RIA and Interfax - also reported that the criminal case against Prigozhin remained open and that the investigation was continuing.
"The criminal case against Prigozhin has not stopped," TASS cited a source close to the prosecutor's office as saying. "The investigation is ongoing."
The prison term under Russian law for such a crime is 12-20 years.
Prigozhin, who has not been seen in public since leaving Rostov late on Saturday and has not commented on the deal, denied leading a mutiny.
Prigozhin, once a close Putin ally whose Wagner Group has spearheaded much of the fighting in Ukraine, launched his rebellion on Friday after alleging that the Russian military had killed some of his men in an air strike.
The Defense Ministry denied his claim.