Title: Kremlin Faces Delicate Decision on Funerals of Wagner Chief and Mercenary Commander
Subtitle: Fissures in Russia over the War in Ukraine Highlighted as Hard-liners Call for Full Military Honors
RIGA, Latvia — The Kremlin is grappling with a delicate decision regarding the funerals of Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner group, mercenary commander Dmitry Utkin, and other members of the group. The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, stated on Monday that the decision largely rests with their families, after patriotic hard-liners demanded that Prigozhin be buried with full military honors. This development underscores the ongoing divisions within Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Prigozhin, Utkin, and their entourage tragically lost their lives in a private jet crash last week, which Western intelligence agencies believe was caused by an onboard explosion. Russian investigators confirmed Prigozhin’s death using DNA analysis on Sunday.
Peskov also mentioned that no decision has been made regarding the funerals or whether President Vladimir Putin will attend. These swirling questions highlight the continuing divisions within Russia’s elite over the war and the risks posed by hard-line pro-war “turbo-patriots” who advocate for a harsher approach against Ukraine.
As the Kremlin weighs the potential unrest that may arise if Putin fails to honor Prigozhin and Wagner as war “heroes,” Kremlin propagandists have been promoting various theories about the cause of the crash. These theories aim to dispel suspicions within Russian society that Prigozhin’s death was a targeted assassination with direct or indirect Kremlin involvement. While most propagandists blame Ukraine and Western intelligence agencies, one version suggests that Wagner’s mishandling of ammunition could be responsible.
Prigozhin, known as “Putin’s chef,” amassed billions through lucrative government catering contracts. He was the public face of Wagner’s months-long assault on the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which the Russians ultimately captured in late May. This military triumph led many commentators to credit Prigozhin with Russia’s most significant victory since the early days of the war.
In June, Prigozhin led a short-lived rebellion against Russia’s military leadership, during which Wagner seized a key headquarters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don. A convoy of fighters even rolled toward Moscow before being called back.
Since the plane crash, spontaneous memorials paying tribute to Prigozhin have appeared in Russian cities. He was a polarizing figure, with bitter criticisms of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the Russian general staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, which resonated with many pro-war hard-liners and some rank-and-file military members.
Prigozhin’s death is seen by many in Russia’s elite as a signal that Putin is reasserting control after the Wagner rebellion in June made him appear weak and ineffectual. Putin has stood by Shoigu and Gerasimov, dismissing senior generals close to Prigozhin or critical of the top brass, including Gen. Sergei Surovikin, known as “General Armageddon” for his ruthless approach in Syria and frequently praised by Prigozhin.
However, the Kremlin now faces a delicate balance in handling the funerals of the Wagner leaders. Putin aims to separate Prigozhin, whom he has condemned as a traitor, from Wagner, which he has praised for its fight in Ukraine. Yet, this effort has had limited success, as Prigozhin remains synonymous with the Wagner brand for many Russians. Pro-Kremlin analyst Sergei Markov called Wagner “one of the few things that the people of Russia can be proud of in this Ukrainian crisis.”
Experts suggest that the Kremlin’s best option is to take control of Prigozhin’s funeral to avoid social media backlash and manage the event’s optics. This would prevent informal groups from appropriating the funeral and maintain state control over Prigozhin, portraying him as a statesman who “stumbled” but can be forgiven.
The funeral poses a difficult dilemma for Putin, as the Kremlin’s information policy against Prigozhin and Wagner has cast a shadow on the president. Speculations about the Kremlin’s involvement in the plane crash are widely circulating in Russia. Pro-Kremlin analysts warn against openly snubbing Wagner, as it could be perceived as evidence of the Kremlin’s hand in the incident.
In conclusion, the Kremlin faces a challenging decision regarding the funerals of Wagner chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin, mercenary commander Dmitry Utkin, and other members of the group. The ongoing divisions within Russia’s elite over the war in Ukraine and the risks posed by hard-line pro-war factions complicate the situation. The Kremlin must carefully navigate honoring Prigozhin and Wagner as war “heroes” while maintaining a distinction between them due to Prigozhin’s role in the June rebellion.The Kremlin is facing a difficult decision regarding the funerals of Wagner chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin, mercenary commander Dmitry Utkin, and other members of the group who were killed in a plane crash last week. Patriotic hard-liners have called for Prigozhin to be buried with full military honors, highlighting the ongoing divisions in Russia over the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has stated that the decision largely rests with the families of the deceased, and no decision has been made on whether President Vladimir Putin will attend the funerals.
The crash, which Western intelligence agencies believe was caused by an onboard explosion, has led to competing theories about the cause, with some blaming Ukraine and Western intelligence agencies, while others suggest that Wagner’s mishandling of ammunition could be to blame. Prigozhin, also known as “Putin’s chef,” was the public face of Wagner’s assault on the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which Russia ultimately captured in May. He also led a short-lived rebellion against Russia’s military leadership in June.
Since the crash, spontaneous memorials have appeared in Russian cities paying tribute to Prigozhin, who was a polarizing figure known for his criticisms of top military officials. Many in Russia’s elite view his death as a signal that Putin is reasserting control after the June rebellion left him looking weak. However, the Kremlin now faces the challenge of handling the funerals, as Putin has condemned Prigozhin as a traitor while praising Wagner for its fight in Ukraine.
Experts suggest that the Kremlin may attempt to separate Prigozhin from Wagner in the public mind and hold separate funerals for them. However, any perceived snub of Prigozhin’s funeral could pose a political risk and be seen as evidence of Kremlin involvement in the crash. Some analysts argue that the Kremlin should take control of the funeral to avoid unrest and manage the optics of the event. Others believe that Putin should say goodbye to Prigozhin quietly, alone with his family, and meet with the families of the deceased to offer special attention and guarantees.
The funeral poses a dilemma for Putin, as the Kremlin is trapped by its own information policy against Prigozhin and Wagner. The Kremlin will have to deal with the reputational risks of being implicated in the crash, and abrupt expressions of admiration for Prigozhin by state propagandists could appear pretentious and silly. Once Prigozhin is buried, the Kremlin may be able to relax, but it has already sent a message to hard-line nationalists that criticism of Putin and the war will not be tolerated.
Some nationalists view Prigozhin and Wagner as charismatic heroes who represent Russia’s more aggressive global role. They argue that a new hero of Great Russia is needed to continue Prigozhin’s legacy on an even larger scale. However, the Kremlin will have to carefully navigate the funeral proceedings to avoid turning them into a political show and to dispel rumors of Putin’s involvement in the crash.
How does the Kremlin’s handling of the funerals of the Wagner leaders reflect President Putin’s attempt to reestablish control and navigate divisions within Russia?
Isms of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other top military officials. His death is seen by many as a signal that President Putin is reasserting control after the Wagner rebellion. However, the Kremlin must carefully handle the funerals to navigate the divisions within Russia and maintain control over the narrative. Experts suggest that taking control of Prigozhin’s funeral and portraying him as a statesman who made a mistake could be the best option for the Kremlin. The funeral poses a dilemma for Putin, as it could be seen as evidence of the Kremlin’s involvement in the plane crash. Overall, the Kremlin faces a challenging decision in handling the funerals of the Wagner leaders.
This is a tough situation for the Kremlin to navigate, as it involves honoring individuals linked to controversial activities.