The mercenary chief who led a short-lived mutiny towards Russia’s prime navy brass in June has emerged in an unverified video message posted on Telegram channels affiliated together with his Wagner forces, showing to recruit for the group’s operations in Africa.

The destiny and whereabouts of Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the Wagner chief, have remained largely shrouded from public view since he led Wagner troops to grab navy headquarters in southern Russia earlier than main them on an advance towards Moscow in late June. The rebellion, which Mr. Prigozhin referred to as off after 24 hours, was probably the most important problem to Mr. Putin’s authority in a long time.

Neither the authenticity of the video that surfaced Monday, nor when or the place it was made could possibly be decided.

The video gave the impression to be the primary glimpse of Mr. Prigozhin since late July, when he appeared in unverified photographs. A couple of days later, a recording circulated with a voice that gave the impression to be his saying that Wagner had paused recruiting whereas determining its “next tasks.”

In the video, posted across the identical time on a lot of Wagner-affiliated accounts Monday night time Moscow time, Mr. Prigozhin is seen in fatigues holding an assault rifle in an unspecified location, earlier than a backdrop of a barren terrain with scant, low-lying brush. He stated it was greater than 50 levels Celsius — or 122 levels Fahrenheit. His location couldn’t be confirmed, however his whereabouts has been an everyday supply of thriller.

He stated within the video that the Wagner Group was finishing up search-and-reconnaissance actions making Africa “freer,” suggesting the group was recruiting for its operations in Africa.

For years, Wagner has been increasing its attain in a number of African nations, notably within the Central African Republic, the place it controls giant mining and timber pursuits. Last month, Mr. Prigozhin praised the coup in Niger in a voice message on Telegram and provided Wagner’s companies to the nation’s new leaders. One of the leaders visited neighboring Mali, the place about 1,500 Wagner troops are allied with the navy regime there.

The group has supplied safety to African presidents, propped up dictators and crushed uprisings, and has been accused of flagrant human rights abuses together with torture and homicide within the course of. As fee for its companies, it receives money or profitable mining concessions.

The diploma of operational management Mr. Prigozhin maintains over the group, nonetheless, is unknown. Russia’s Defense Ministry has demanded that Wagner fighters signal contracts as an alternative with the navy, and as part of the deal brokered by President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus, Wagner forces relinquished weapons and equipment earlier than leaving Russia.

Mr. Putin has additionally sought to attract a distinction between the Wagner rank-and-file and Mr. Prigozhin, placing the blame of the failed mutiny strictly on the mercenary chief whereas maintaining open the potential for utilizing the fighters’ abilities and expertise.

On Saturday, the Kremlin said Mr. Putin had traveled to the southern Russian metropolis of Rostov-on-Don to satisfy with navy commanders, in his first publicized go to to the navy hub because it was seized by Mr. Prigozhin as part of his mutiny.

Mr. Prigozhin has apparently been in Belarus and was just lately nonetheless in a position to journey to Russia — final month, unverified images appeared to show him meeting with African leaders in St. Petersburg throughout a summit hosted by Mr. Putin.

But his in depth media holdings, together with a troll farm that figured prominently in Russia’s interference within the U.S. presidential election in 2016, have largely been taken aside, and state media has depicted him as a thug. He has additionally toned down his criticism of Russia’s prime navy leaders.