Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on Saturday denied allegations by President Vladimir Putin that he is betraying his country and called his fighters patriots.
In an audio message on his Telegram channel, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said: “Regarding the betrayal of the motherland, the president was deeply mistaken. We are patriots of our homeland.
He said his fighters would not turn themselves in at the request of Putin, as "we do not want the country to live on in corruption, deceit and bureaucracy.”