The future of the Wagner group and tycoon Prigozhin has been unclear since the mercenary group's leader led a mutiny against the Russian Defense Ministry in late June. Prigozhin and a number of Wagner soldiers then moved to Belarus as part of a deal with the Kremlin brokered by Belarusian President Lukashenko.

Still, Mr. Prigozhin attended a meeting with President Vladimir Putin five days after the coup and appeared in St. Petersburg last week on the sidelines of a Russia-Africa summit.

“Today we are defining the next tasks, which are becoming clearer. These are tasks that will be carried out in the name of the greatness of Russia,” Prigozhin said in an audio recording posted on the Telegram channel Grey Zone.

After the June coup, the Kremlin said Wagner soldiers would be integrated into the regular army and signed contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry.

In the recording, Mr Prigozhin said that “unfortunately” some Wagner fighters had moved to “other structures”, but said they were looking to return to the Wagner group.

“We do not have any plans for a new recruitment drive at the moment. However, we would be grateful if you would contact us when we form a new team to protect the interests of the country. We will definitely start recruiting,” Prigozhin added.

Since arriving in Belarus, Wagner members have begun training Belarusian forces and sharing battlefield experience from the Ukraine conflict. In comments published last week, Prigozhin also said Wagner was ready to increase its presence in Africa.

Wagner's role in the region, particularly in supporting governments in Mali and the Central African Republic, is a concern for Western governments.

Meanwhile, the US accused Wagner of widespread crimes and imposed sanctions on the group as a criminal organization.

For his part, leader Prigozhin said that his organization operates in accordance with the laws of the countries where Wagner is based.

Kong Anh (Source: Al Jazeera)