Russians across the country are mourning the presumed death of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the chief of the private military company Wagner. Makeshift memorials have been set up in nearly two dozen cities in Russia and occupied Ukraine, highlighting Prigozhin’s lingering popularity and the potential challenge he poses to President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin and other top Wagner leaders are believed to have been killed in a plane crash just two months after Putin branded him a traitor for leading a rebellion against Russia’s military. The memorials, although not a national outpouring of grief, demonstrate Prigozhin’s support in pro-war circles and the Kremlin’s delicate task of managing potential anger among his supporters. Many in Russia’s elite believe that Prigozhin’s presumed death was an assassination ordered by the Kremlin, although Putin’s spokesman has denied these claims. Putin himself praised Prigozhin as a talented person who made mistakes. The memorials featured flowers, photographs, flags, candles, and religious pictures, with many people wearing Wagner camouflage and black shirts with the group’s logo. Prigozhin inspired loyalty among his men by standing up for them against military bureaucrats, despite high casualty rates and allegations of executions. The families of Wagner soldiers expressed their grief and loyalty on Telegram group chats, expressing concerns about their future without Prigozhin’s protection. Prominent Russians, including nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin and Tula governor Alexei Dyumin, praised Prigozhin and expressed their unease about his death. Many in Russia’s elite believe that Prigozhin’s death was an assassination ordered by Putin. Western analysts suggest that the true cause of the crash may never be known due to Russia’s politicized investigations system. Russian media have speculated that the plane was destroyed by Ukrainian saboteurs or foreign intelligence agents.Russians across the country are mourning the presumed death of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the chief of the private military company Wagner. Makeshift memorials have been set up in nearly two dozen cities in Russia and occupied Ukraine, highlighting Prigozhin’s lingering popularity and the potential challenge he poses to President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin and other top Wagner leaders are believed to have been killed in a plane crash, just two months after Putin branded him a traitor for leading a rebellion against Russia’s military. The memorials, although not a national outpouring of grief, demonstrate Prigozhin’s support in pro-war circles and the Kremlin’s delicate task of managing potential anger among his supporters. Many in Russia’s elite believe that Prigozhin’s death was an assassination ordered by the Kremlin, although Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov has denied these claims.
The challenge for Putin lies in managing the anger of Prigozhin and Wagner supporters, including junior and mid-level military officers. Analysts suggest that Putin needs to prevent these individuals from becoming his opponents and engaging in radical actions. To do so, he must pay tribute to Prigozhin and offer an alternative version of his death. Putin praised Prigozhin as a “talented person” who “achieved the necessary results” but ”made mistakes” in reference to the rebellion.
Despite a Kremlin propaganda campaign to tarnish Prigozhin’s image, the memorials extolling the Wagner leader demonstrate his popularity among his men. Prigozhin inspired loyalty because he was perceived as standing up for his men against military bureaucrats. He gained popularity through direct videos recorded near the front lines, exposing military failures and casualties. The families of Wagner soldiers expressed their grief and loyalty on Telegram group chats, expressing concerns about their future without Prigozhin’s protection.
Prominent Russians, including nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin and Tula governor Alexei Dyumin, have publicly praised Prigozhin, following Putin’s lead. However, analysts suggest that these public comments also indicate unease about the incident and divisions within the elites over Prigozhin’s “punishment.” Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has voiced his conviction that Putin ordered Prigozhin’s assassination, calling it a “violent liquidation” of his enemies by a world leader.
The true cause of the plane crash may never be known due to Russia’s politicized investigations system. Russian state-owned and pro-Kremlin media have speculated that the plane was destroyed by Ukrainian saboteurs or foreign intelligence agents. Russia has made few gains in the war since Wagner conquered Bakhmut in May, and recent drone strikes on Moscow have brought the war closer to home. The extreme-right Russian paramilitary group Rusich has announced its withdrawal from the Ukraine war, citing the lack of protection from Russian officials.
Overall, the presumed death of Yevgeniy Prigozhin has sparked mourning and raised questions about the Kremlin’s involvement. The memorials and public reactions demonstrate Prigozhin’s popularity and the challenges Putin faces in managing potential anger among his supporters. The true cause of the plane crash remains uncertain, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to escalate.
How has Yevgeniy Prigozhin inspired loyalty among his followers and what impact does this loyalty have on Putin’s leadership?
Followers and the loyalty he inspired in his men. The memorials are adorned with flowers, photographs, flags, candles, and religious pictures, while attendees don Wagner camouflage and black shirts with the group’s logo. The families of Wagner soldiers have expressed their grief and concerns about their future without Prigozhin’s protection in Telegram group chats.
Prominent Russians, including nationalist writer Zakhar Prilepin and Tula governor Alexei Dyumin, have praised Prigozhin and voiced unease about his death. They, along with many in Russia’s elite, believe it was an assassination ordered by Putin. Western analysts speculate that the true cause of the plane crash may never be known due to Russia’s politicized investigations system. Russian media has even suggested that Ukrainian saboteurs or foreign intelligence agents destroyed the plane.
The challenge for Putin is not only managing the anger of Prigozhin and Wagner supporters but also preventing them from turning into opponents and engaging in radical actions. Analysts argue that he needs to pay tribute to Prigozhin and provide an alternative narrative about his death to prevent further discontent. Putin has praised Prigozhin as a talented individual who achieved results but made mistakes in reference to the rebellion.
In conclusion, the memorials set up across Russia and occupied Ukraine for Yevgeniy Prigozhin highlight his lingering popularity and the potential challenge he poses to Putin. While there is no national outpouring of grief, these memorials demonstrate support for Prigozhin in pro-war circles and the Kremlin’s delicate task of managing anger among his supporters. Many in Russia’s elite believe his death was an assassination ordered by the Kremlin, but Putin’s spokesman has denied these claims. The challenge for Putin lies in managing the anger of Prigozhin and Wagner supporters, including military officers, and preventing them from becoming opponents through a carefully crafted narrative.
I can’t believe Prigozhin’s death, it’s a significant loss for Russia. He played a major role in shaping Putin’s popularity.
Prigozhin’s influence was undeniable, but now Putin faces new challenges in maintaining his popularity without his trusted ally.