appears on russian vladimir putin appears on russian television and makes no mention of the last extraordinary 48—hour is. hello, i'm matthew amroliwala. welcome to verified live, three hours of breaking stories, and checking out the truth behind them. yevgeny prigozhin has released his first audio message, it is 11 minutes. he said the members of the group had started what equal a march forjustice. we showed no regression, he said, but we were hit by missiles and helicopters. he said his supporters turned round to avoid spelling blood. vladimir putin and his government are projecting an impression of business as usual. we've seen the first image on russian television. we will head

straight to the newsroom and find out about the audio message. a lot of linesjust dropping in out about the audio message. a lot of lines just dropping in the last minutes. of linesjust dropping in the last minutes. . ~ , of linesjust dropping in the last minutes. w , ., , minutes. take us through it. this messaue minutes. take us through it. this message is _ minutes. take us through it. this message is entirely _ minutes. take us through it. this| message is entirely retrospective. it is looking back at what wagner did over the weekend. there is no indication of what yevgeny prigozhin's plans are, where he is and what will happen to his wagner group. he was very complimentary, boastful, you could say, as usual, about wagner and what he did. he said repeatedly it wasn't his intention to topple the government intention to topple the government in russia. he kept saying his group marched for justice. in russia. he kept saying his group marched forjustice. his group did not kill a single russian soldier on the ground. he expressed regret his fighters had to open fire on

aircraft, allegedly targeting wagner during this march. he appeared to say that one other reason why wagner staged this march was to give the official army and example of how things are done. yevgeny prigozhin said in one day they were able to cover 700 kilometres, and this is the level of organisation that the russian army need to learn to much, he said. he concluded his 11 hour, 11 minute message posted on social media, he said this is what the 24th of february 2022 should have looked like. this is the date when vladimir

putin special operation against ukraine. yevgeny prigozhin appears to be saying i am the man who can get things done, i am the best person who can secure russia's victory in ukraine. but he gave absolutely no indication of where he was speaking from what his plans for the future work. i was speaking from what his plans for the future work.— the future work. i will come back to that firstly. — the future work. i will come back to that firstly. but _ the future work. i will come back to that firstly, but he _ the future work. i will come back to that firstly, but he said _ the future work. i will come back to that firstly, but he said the - the future work. i will come back to that firstly, but he said the march l that firstly, but he said the march showed serious security problems in the country. he said he wanted to hold accountable those who have made mistakes during the special operation. on the first point, it is true it did show security problems, the amount of miles they were able to get through for some on the second point of holding those accountable, it doesn't look like there have been any major moves at there have been any major moves at the top of the military command. it doesn't. today, we've seen two

videos, one showing the defence minister visiting a russian command centre, and another video showing vladimir putin addressing a youth forum held in russia. but the key question that remains unanswered is, when exactly those videos were filmed? it is possible they were filmed? it is possible they were filmed before yevgeny prigozhin's new to any, that is important because we still don't know whether the defence minister is still in his job, and where vladimir putin is at this moment of time, and these are important questions, giving yevgeny prigozhin, one of his key objections was to challenge the russian defence minister's position and possibly

remove him from his post. interesting that in reference to that, he is talking about registering that protest as he described it as ineffectual conduct, but not to overthrow the government. when you see how vladimir putin responded, calling it treason and betrayal, that is not how he saw it, not an attempt to overthrow them. we have the confusion as we are speaking now about their are still charges potentially or not, because that has been disputed, the notion that has been disputed, the notion that charges have been dropped. the that charges have been dropped. iia: kremlin's that charges have been dropped. i“ia: kremlin's spokesman, that charges have been dropped. ii2 kremlin's spokesman, on saturday, when he announced this deal reportedly brokered by the belarus's leader, underwhich reportedly brokered by the belarus's leader, under which prigozhin will move to belarus, part of the deal was a dropping of criminal charges,

charges of mutiny against yevgeny prigozhin. two day we've seen unsourced or reports quoting unnamed sources coming from russia which said these charges have not been dropped yet. there are two ways of reading the report, one is that it takes time for russian bureaucracy to move and then these charges will be dropped eventually. but the second way of looking at is, there may be a possibility yevgeny prigozhin well at some point in the future have two face russian justice. future have two face russian 'ustice. ~ ., , , ., future have two face russian 'ustice. ~ ., , .~ ., justice. what is your take on the fact this is _ justice. what is your take on the fact this is an _ justice. what is your take on the fact this is an audio _ justice. what is your take on the fact this is an audio file, - justice. what is your take on the fact this is an audio file, not - fact this is an audio file, not anything in vision?— fact this is an audio file, not anything in vision? well, a lot of --eole anything in vision? well, a lot of peeple would — anything in vision? well, a lot of people would have _ anything in vision? well, a lot of people would have like - anything in vision? well, a lot of people would have like to - anything in vision? well, a lot of people would have like to see i people would have like to see yevgeny prigozhin in person and

possibly base that on finding out where he is. on the other hand, this is how he prefers to communicate. over the past few months, most abyss statements published on social media, they did come in the form of audio messages, which seems to be his preferred way of communicating with the public.— his preferred way of communicating with the public. thank you very much for takinu with the public. thank you very much for taking us — with the public. thank you very much for taking us through _ with the public. thank you very much for taking us through those _ with the public. thank you very much for taking us through those key - for taking us through those key lines. i will bring in sarah, our eastern europe correspondent in warsaw, going through the ii eastern europe correspondent in warsaw, going through the 11 minutes audio message. interesting here because he talks about not trying to topple the government, but in many other aspects, a statement of all the grievances of play here. yes. the grievances of play here. yes, that is what _ the grievances of play here. yes, that is what this _ the grievances of play here. yes, that is what this is. _ the grievances of play here. yes, that is what this is. it _ the grievances of play here. yes, that is what this is. it is - the grievances of play here. yes, that is what this is. it is 11 - the grievances of play here. yes, that is what this is. it is 11 and i the grievances of play here. yes, that is what this is. it is 11 and a l that is what this is. it is 11 and a

half minutes, i'vejust that is what this is. it is 11 and a half minutes, i've just finished it. yevgeny prigozhin still sounding aggrieved but trying to send a message that his aim, as you said, was not to topple the elected authorities of russia. it was all about, he is underlining, about the survival of his mercenary group, the wagner group. fora long survival of his mercenary group, the wagner group. for a long time in this message he talks about the professional qualities of wagner, he talks about them are showing the russian military how they should have been if they wanted to win the war in ukraine. he basically says if the russian military had been like us at the beginning of it on the 24th of february 2022, they could have taken ukraine in a matter of days. he said it was a matter of disarray. he is underlining the success of his martialjustice, the

soldiers marching on moscow. he said they got 780 kilometres on the way to moscow, just 200 kilometres. he is confirming the reports from an intervention from the belarus leader, and he agreed to it because he didn't want the blood of any russian soldier to be spilled. painting himself as ultimately a rational actor who didn't want to go to far, didn't want this to be seen as a political act against vladimir putin. he doesn't use his name. and painting it as a fight against the ministry of defence, he speaks about them in negative terms. he starts out by saying it was the wagner group supposing to disband, and they didn't want to do it. still a lot of questions. we don't know where he

is. he says it is all he can say for now. we don't know where he will go or what will happen to his wagner group. but at least answering some of the questions we have about the motivations for his march and why he decided, at least as he put it, to turn back the troops as they were some 200 kilometres from moscow. he maids the point that the march showed serious security problems in the country, and that is inarguable in terms of the amount of territory they were able to take so quickly. he made a lot of claims, he was saying they went almost 800 kilometres, they managed to neutralise every single military installation in their path. he said not one single russian soldier was encountered en route, but that when they got closer to moscow and saw

what was facing them in terms of the protective forces, the defence forces, that is when they decided not to engage in a firefight. he does confirm some of the report that were made over the past couple of days of the fact he says that the wagner group did fire at aviation, he puts it, he doesn't say helicopter or plane. he says some russian soldiers, members of the military were killed. he says also a couple of what he describes as mod troops who joined the march and they were also killed. some blood was spilled, it wasn't a bloodless event. a number of points. it is interesting, this was about restating his importance to russia in a way, saying bugner has been

vitally important to russia. he said they have always acted in russia's interest —— wagner. he is offended that he has been forced to disband his group, and he says that is why the whole crisis began. {lin his group, and he says that is why the whole crisis began.— the whole crisis began. on that oint, the whole crisis began. on that point. there — the whole crisis began. on that point, there are _ the whole crisis began. on that point, there are so _ the whole crisis began. on that point, there are so many - the whole crisis began. on that - point, there are so many unanswered questions surrounding just about all of this, but what happens with the wagner group, whether they return to ukraine, how effective they might be. we don't know how many of those wagner mercenaries were there on the convoy, do we? taste wagner mercenaries were there on the convoy. do we?— convoy, do we? we don't. there is one comment _ convoy, do we? we don't. there is one comment or— convoy, do we? we don't. there is one comment or report _ convoy, do we? we don't. there is one comment or report from - convoy, do we? we don't. there is| one comment or report from british military intelligence, suggesting it was some 8000 men that were standing by yevgeny prigozhin. he has said it was the minimum of his force that decided to sign contracts and leave

wagner, as in his wagner. the vast majority of those fighters stayed with him. he said had their proposals... sorry, he said the reason it started, he claims again his position had come underfire and some 30 wagnerfighters his position had come underfire and some 30 wagner fighters had his position had come underfire and some 30 wagnerfighters had been killed. we didn't see any proof of it when the allegations were made. he was saying that wagner fighters were prepared to come to rostov to hand over the hardware, to give up, but then they were attacked. he said they were fired at and shelled and missiles were fired, and then helicopters turned against them, and thatis helicopters turned against them, and that is when they decided the only way to make their protests known was to stop the mosque on moscow. confusing as to what is motives were —— the march on moscow. on saturday,

the kremlin said criminal charges had been dropped against him and wagner as part of the deal done to stop this mutiny. today we heard reports that the prosecutor had actually kept that pace open. he didn't address that at all in this long audio message, but it is problem why he is lying low and we don't know where he is.— don't know where he is. sarah, we will leave it _ don't know where he is. sarah, we will leave it there _ don't know where he is. sarah, we will leave it there for _ don't know where he is. sarah, we will leave it there for now. - don't know where he is. sarah, we will leave it there for now. thank l will leave it there for now. thank you for that analysis. let's continue and speak to a freelance journalist who has covered the wagner group extensively, recently returned from ukraine. thank you, chuck. i don't know how much of the audio message you have listened to. what do you make of it? it is audio message you have listened to. what do you make of it?— what do you make of it? it is 'ust break in, what do you make of it? it is 'ust break in. hisfi what do you make of it? it is 'ust break in, his first i what do you make of it? it is 'ust break in, his first comments h what do you make of it? it isjust| break in, his first comments since the unprecedented events. it is an

11 minute audio message, and the key lines we are picking up is that he claims not to have been targeted in putin. he wasn't seeking to overthrow the leadership of russia, making it clear the people he had targeted with the likes of sergei shoigu, the head of the armed forces. and i am quoting, he said he wanted to hold account the officials who through their unprofessional actions committed a massive number of errors. we have seen some of those errors in this. we have a protracted conflict, nato has never been stronger, ukraine is with weapons from the uk and us and pushing in a slow but potentially steady counteroffensive. and finally we've seen prigozhin denying claims

his soldiers would sign contracts with the defence ministry. that is significant. there had been suggestions that after this failed italian, whatever you want to call it, that the russian state would be seeking to dismantle them —— failed mutiny. prigozhin has said it won't happen, he claims 25,000 men, not just in russia or ukraine, all around the world. this is a group with a huge internationalfootprint, not least in africa and the middle east. there's been a lot of questions of how moscow would be able to take down, dismantle the group as widespread, well manned, well armed and extensive as varga. between the lines, there's almost a threats directed at the russian

authorities, effectively to not pursue that particular objection. exactly. the question is, how all of this has been a leading putin and leading prigozhin. there was a real sense of putin had been weakened and humiliated and left vulnerable. the messaging we've got this morning out of moscow is that the putin regime is hitting back at it with the leaks in the report saying this case against prigozhin, which apparently had been dropped, was still open. that seem to be a sense of moscow trying to take control of the narrative, retake control, issuing a warning sign to prigozhin, watch your back, because we are still on your back, because we are still on you and could arrest, detain or other at any time we like. we are

now seeing prigozhin far from admitting he's in a weakened position, that he might be getting pushed out of any high story windows. he's coming back and pushing back against it. the extraordinary thing of these events is that nobody expected the putin regime to topple. dictatorships seem to last forever, until they don't. and saturday was an example when the unthinkable, putin's russia collapsing, suddenly became thinkable. we were all imagining it, and certainly those thoughts planted in the mine of russian observers, and more importantly, russian elite and more importantly, russian elite and citizens, that this putin regime might not last forever, that this person might not be in control

because they are brittle, they are there until they on there. we because they are brittle, they are there until they on there.- there until they on there. we are seeinu there until they on there. we are seeing pictures — there until they on there. we are seeing pictures from _ there until they on there. we are seeing pictures from rostov - there until they on there. we are seeing pictures from rostov and | there until they on there. we are i seeing pictures from rostov and the welcome the wagner group had from local people. in this statement, prigozhin says wagner had support in towns they went through during their mutiny. that will unsettle the regime in moscow because vladimir putin will have seen those pictures and seen the response from ordinary russians. ~ , ,., , , and seen the response from ordinary russians. ~ , , , , russians. absolutely. it is very tem tin . russians. absolutely. it is very tempting to — russians. absolutely. it is very tempting to draw _ russians. absolutely. it is very tempting to draw conclusions, | russians. absolutely. it is very i tempting to draw conclusions, not just from those scenes, but from all of it. there's been a lot of speculation online over the last 48s, some interesting, some baseless. we know so little. we don't know the details of this, as

proven by prigozhin's statement, counteracting what the kremlin said the statement entailed. we don't know goes on is. is he in russia or occupied areas of ukraine question is he in belarus because not huge uncertainty. we know he is restless and ruthlessly ambitious and has built up a powerful empire on which russian foreign policy depends on foot the idea of him sitting back and letting the elite in moscow taking over as very hard to believe. jack, we have to leave that, but thank you for that analysis after that 11 minute audio tape just being bullies. we will have more in a moment or two, but around the world

and the uk, you are watching bbc news. an inquest has heard nicola bulley died as a result of drowning — and was alive when she fell into a river. the 45—year—old went missing from st michael's on wyre in lancashire injanuary, prompting a major search. it took more than three weeks for her body to be found. a study has found people in the uk are less likely to survive treatable conditions, such as breast cancer and stroke, than those in other rich nations. the review, by the king's fund think tank, says the problem may be directly linked to the performance of the nhs. a man in his 30s has died at the been stabbed on a tram. a man has been stabbed on a tram. a man has been arrested on the suspicion of murder. police say they aren't looking for anyone else and it was an isolated incident. those are some

of the headlines making stories in the uk. more on that in a moment or two. you are live with bbc news. ajapanese defence intelligence official has told the bbc they would be prepared to shoot down any chinese spy balloons spotted over their territory in the future. it follows a bbc panorama investigation that discovered evidence of one suspected surveillance balloon travelling overjapan in 2021. live now to professor gordon houlden, who is the director emeritus of the china institute and professor of political science at the university of alberta. thank you so much for being here. it is interesting looking at this bbc panorama the use of ai is interesting looking at this bbc panorama the use of al to see the number of potential incidents we were talking about with these chinese spy balloons. i were talking about with these chinese spy balloons.- were talking about with these chinese spy balloons. i think it's extraordinary — chinese spy balloons. i think it's extraordinary what _ chinese spy balloons. i think it's extraordinary what it _ chinese spy balloons. i think it's extraordinary what it has - chinese spy balloons. i think it's i extraordinary what it has unveiled. we knew the previous trajectories

over countries. that work has unveiled how many, including relatively recent balloon trajectories overjapan and other countries. trajectories overjapan and other countries. ~ ., ., , ., ~ countries. what do you think the chinese are _ countries. what do you think the chinese are trying _ countries. what do you think the chinese are trying to _ countries. what do you think the chinese are trying to harvest? i l chinese are trying to harvest? i think the west had a bad understanding of the complexity of the sophistication of these balloons. we tend to think of them as weather balloons gathering information. but we now know from careful examination, that indeed these huge balloons, muscle balloons were carrying out at lower altitudes than satellites important surveillance over military sites and

communications. there's been a re—evaluation of the function of these balloons. i think countries such as japan, europe and north america are much more nervous about them and more prepared to take action should they appear. i know it's abruot. _ action should they appear. i know it's abrupt, but _ action should they appear. i know it's abrupt, but we _ action should they appear. i know it's abrupt, but we are _ action should they appear. i know it's abrupt, but we are going - action should they appear. i know it's abrupt, but we are going to i it's abrupt, but we are going to have to end the interview, and apologies for it. but we have a live event to go to. we are heading to the house of commons, the uk foreign secretary talk about the weekend's events. of course, the leadership of russia is a matter exclusively for the russian people. but everybody should note that one of putin's proteges had destroyed his case for the war in ukraine. prigozhin said on friday there was nothing out of the

ordinary before the 24th of february 20 to the situation was frozen with exchanges military action and looting by the russian. he said the defence mystery is trying to duplicate the nation, and with nato support ready to attack russia. the russian's lies have been exposed by one person putin's own henchmen. the. of this we can's events will take some time to become clear, and it is not helpful to speculate. prigozhin's providing is an unprecedented challenge to putin's authority and the cracks are emerging in their work. authority and the cracks are emerging in theirwork. i authority and the cracks are emerging in their work. i hold no kind offer prigozhin, but he has said what we have believed since the

start of the invasion, that this invasion was both unjustified and unprovoked. the events of this weekend are a challenge to putin's authority, we have an armed column approaching his own capital city. as the situation unfolded, the government responded to development carefully. i was grieved on friday evening and again regulate through the weekend by my officials. on saturday i chaired a cobra meeting. we have been in close contact with our allies, and i've been in touch with other regional partners. my right honourable friend prime minister spoke to present biden. despite these internal develop and is in russia, putin's bloody war continues. the ukrainians fired their survival, and ourfriends are mounting a determined counteroffensive and clawing back

their territory. we will not be distracted from our work to support sl defence and subsequent recovery. these events show it is ukraine and its partners, not russia, that have the strategic patience and resolve to prevail. at the last recovery conference we sent a message that not only will we stand by our ukrainian friends as they resist putin, but we will stand with them in the subsequent peace as wealth. now that russia's leadership cannot justify this war, the only rightful cause is for putin to withdraw his troops and end this bloodshed now. mr speaker, i commend this statement troops and end this bloodshed now. mr speaker, i commend this statement to the house. to mr speaker, mrspeaker, cani mr speaker, can i start by thanking the foreign— mr speaker, can i start by thanking the foreign secretary being entered over the _ the foreign secretary being entered over the weekend and for the

government in providing briefings? our greatest strength is our unity. with this _ our greatest strength is our unity. with this in — our greatest strength is our unity. with this in mind, we are reassured to hear— with this in mind, we are reassured to hear the — with this in mind, we are reassured to hear the government has been working _ to hear the government has been working closely with our allies and partners _ working closely with our allies and partners around the world. can i ask the prime _ partners around the world. can i ask the prime minister and the foreign secretary— the prime minister and the foreign secretary housebroken to their counterparts in ukraine today or over— counterparts in ukraine today or over weekend to reiterate that all sides— over weekend to reiterate that all sides of— over weekend to reiterate that all sides of this house are in for the long _ sides of this house are in for the long haut— sides of this house are in for the long haul and that the uk will always— long haul and that the uk will always support them in their fight for democracy over tyranny question or the _ for democracy over tyranny question or the events that unfolded shone a li-ht or the events that unfolded shone a light on— or the events that unfolded shone a light on serious problems in russia. prigozhin _ light on serious problems in russia. prigozhin has been a close ally of putin _ prigozhin has been a close ally of putin his — prigozhin has been a close ally of putin. his military company started becoming _ putin. his military company started becoming involved in eastern ukraine in 2014 _ becoming involved in eastern ukraine in 2014 he _ becoming involved in eastern ukraine in 2014. he is not only the owner of wagner— in 2014. he is not only the owner of wagner but — in 2014. he is not only the owner of wagner but also has a media empire involved _ wagner but also has a media empire involved in— wagner but also has a media empire involved in hybrid campaigns around the world _

involved in hybrid campaigns around the world. it is staggering prigozhin publicly challenged not only putin's leadership but the false _ only putin's leadership but the false narrative he used tojustify his full—scale invasion. challenging the lie _ his full—scale invasion. challenging the lie that ukraine or nato posed a threat _ the lie that ukraine or nato posed a threat to— the lie that ukraine or nato posed a threat to russia. and stating clearly — threat to russia. and stating clearly what we all know, that putin's — clearly what we all know, that putin's invasion is failing on its own— putin's invasion is failing on its own terms _ putin's invasion is failing on its own terms. it showed the reality and cost of _ own terms. it showed the reality and cost of the _ own terms. it showed the reality and cost of the water putin is trying to soporess— cost of the water putin is trying to suppress our coming back to haunt him _ suppress our coming back to haunt him the _ suppress our coming back to haunt him. the opposition agrees it is not helpful— him. the opposition agrees it is not helpful to _ him. the opposition agrees it is not helpful to speculate where it will end up _ helpful to speculate where it will end up in— helpful to speculate where it will end up in the long—term because this is a puzzle _ end up in the long—term because this is a puzzle that is constant is shifting — is a puzzle that is constant is shifting in— is a puzzle that is constant is shifting in size and shape, but it raises _ shifting in size and shape, but it raises many questions about the here and now _ raises many questions about the here and now as — raises many questions about the here and now. as well as in ukraine the wagner— and now. as well as in ukraine the wagner group has been responsible for atrocities in syria and across africa — for atrocities in syria and across africa this— for atrocities in syria and across africa. this side of the house has long _ africa. this side of the house has long called — africa. this side of the house has long called for the prescription of a terrorist — long called for the prescription of a terrorist organisation. we may have _ a terrorist organisation. we may have seen— a terrorist organisation. we may have seen the end of the wagner group _ have seen the end of the wagner group in — have seen the end of the wagner group in its first iteration, but

what — group in its first iteration, but what is — group in its first iteration, but what is the foreign secretary know about _ what is the foreign secretary know about where it