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Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman with close ties to Vladimir Putin, has reportedly died in a suspicious plane crash just outside of Moscow. Prigozhin, the owner of the Kremlin-allied Wagner Group, had recently been involved in an attempted uprising against Russia’s military leadership. The plane crash occurred on August 23, killing 10 people on board, including Prigozhin and his deputy Dmitry Utkin. While it has not been confirmed that Prigozhin was on board, his presence on the passenger list suggests his involvement.
The attempted uprising by Prigozhin and his men took place on June 23, when they occupied Rostov-on-Don and marched on Moscow, shooting down military helicopters and killing pilots. The Russian security services immediately opened a criminal investigation and demanded Prigozhin’s arrest. The Kremlin took the threat seriously, tightening security at key facilities in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin branded the rebellion an act of treachery.
Peace talks, seemingly mediated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, eventually brought the standoff to a peaceful conclusion. Prigozhin and some of his fighters were allowed to leave for Belarus, and the criminal case against him for armed mutiny was dropped. However, confusion surrounded the implementation of the deal, and it was unclear whether Prigozhin ever made it to Minsk. He was later seen back in St Petersburg, appearing at the Russia-Africa Summit.
Prigozhin’s relationship with Putin dates back to their time in Leningrad, now St Petersburg. Prigozhin served nine years in prison for crimes including robbery and fraud, and after his release, he launched a catering business. Leveraging political connections, he was awarded major state contracts and became known as “Putin’s chef.” His businesses expanded significantly, and he also founded the Wagner Group, a Kremlin-allied private military company.
Wagner fighters, including Prigozhin’s mercenaries, have played a central role in Russia’s projection of influence in trouble spots around the world, including Syria, Libya, and the Central African Republic. The United States has sanctioned Wagner and accused it of atrocities. In Ukraine, Wagner fighters have fought alongside the Russian army against Ukrainian forces, with Bakhmut being a particularly significant battleground.
Prigozhin has also been linked to election meddling, as he founded and financed the Internet Research Agency, a company that Washington says meddled in the 2016 US presidential election. He and several other Russian nationals were indicted as part of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference. The US Treasury Department has sanctioned Prigozhin repeatedly in connection with both the alleged election interference and his leadership of Wagner.
The Biden administration has referred to Prigozhin as a “known bad actor,” and State Department spokesperson Ned Price has criticized his impunity under President Putin and the Kremlin. Prigozhin’s death in the plane crash raises questions about the circumstances surrounding his demise and the potential implications for Russia’s military and political landscape.BREAKING NEWS: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Owner of Kremlin-Allied Wagner Group, Presumed Dead in Plane Crash
Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman with a catering empire and close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is presumed dead after a suspicious plane crash just outside of Moscow. Prigozhin, the owner of the Kremlin-allied Wagner Group, had recently been involved in a failed uprising against Russia’s military leadership.
The plane crash occurred on 23 August, when a private plane carrying Prigozhin and his deputy Dmitry Utkin crashed in the Tver region, killing all 10 people on board. While it has not been confirmed that Prigozhin was on the plane, his presence on the passenger list suggests that he may have been a victim of retribution for his attempted rebellion.
The uprising began on 23 June, when Prigozhin openly criticized Russia’s conduct of the war in Ukraine and called for an armed uprising to oust the country’s defense chiefs. His men occupied Rostov-on-Don and marched on Moscow, shooting down military helicopters and causing widespread panic. Russian security services immediately launched a criminal investigation and demanded Prigozhin’s arrest.
The Kremlin took the threat seriously, tightening security at key facilities in Moscow and branding the rebellion an act of treachery. However, peace talks mediated by Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko eventually brought the standoff to a peaceful conclusion. Prigozhin and some of his fighters were allowed to leave for Belarus, and the criminal case against him was dropped.
Prigozhin’s relationship with Putin dates back to their time in Leningrad, now St Petersburg. He built a successful catering business and gained political connections, earning major state contracts and even catering for Kremlin events. In 2014, he founded the Wagner Group, a private military company that has played a central role in Russia’s projection of influence in conflict zones around the world.
Prigozhin’s mercenaries, including thousands of inmates recruited from Russian prisons, have fought alongside the Russian army in battles against Ukrainian forces. Wagner fighters have been accused of atrocities and have become a major force in the conflict.
Despite his criticism of Russia’s military leadership, Prigozhin continued to play a crucial role in the Russian offensive and appeared to have the support of Putin. However, his failed mutiny may have been an insult too far, leading to his presumed death in the plane crash.
The Biden administration has referred to Prigozhin as a “known bad actor” and has sanctioned him multiple times for his alleged election interference and leadership of Wagner. CIA director William Burns has characterized Putin as the “ultimate apostle of payback,” suggesting that Prigozhin’s demise is in line with the Russian leader’s brutal tactics.
The circumstances surrounding Prigozhin’s death are still under investigation, and it remains to be seen how his absence will impact Russia’s military operations and Putin’s inner circle.
What are the potential implications for Russia’s military and political landscape following Prigozhin’s death in the plane crash, particularly in relation to the dynamics within the Wagner Group and Russia’s relationship with conflict-ridden regions
Seriously and tightened security at key facilities in Moscow. President Putin labeled the rebellion an act of treachery and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
Peace talks, facilitated by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, eventually led to a peaceful resolution of the standoff. Prigozhin and some of his fighters were allowed to leave for Belarus, and the criminal case against him for armed mutiny was dropped. However, the implementation of the deal was uncertain, and it remains unclear whether Prigozhin ever made it to Minsk. He was later spotted back in St Petersburg, attending the Russia-Africa Summit.
Prigozhin’s connection with Putin can be traced back to their time in Leningrad, now known as St Petersburg. After serving nine years in prison for various crimes, Prigozhin launched a successful catering business, leveraging his political connections to secure major state contracts. He became known as “Putin’s chef” and expanded his business empire significantly. In addition, he founded the Wagner Group, a private military company aligned with the Kremlin.
Wagner Group fighters, including Prigozhin’s mercenaries, have played a central role in Russia’s projection of influence in conflict zones around the world, including Syria, Libya, and the Central African Republic. The United States has imposed sanctions on Wagner, accusing the group of committing atrocities. In Ukraine, Wagner fighters have fought alongside the Russian army against Ukrainian forces, with the city of Bakhmut serving as a significant battleground.
Furthermore, Prigozhin has been implicated in election meddling, as he founded and financed the Internet Research Agency, a company accused by Washington of interfering in the 2016 US presidential election. He, along with several other Russian nationals, was indicted as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian election interference. The US Treasury Department has repeatedly sanctioned Prigozhin for his alleged involvement in both election interference and his leadership of Wagner.
The Biden administration has referred to Prigozhin as a “known bad actor” and criticized his impunity under President Putin and the Kremlin. The circumstances surrounding Prigozhin’s death in the plane crash raise questions about the potential implications for Russia’s military and political landscape. It remains to be seen how his absence will affect the dynamics within the Wagner Group and Russia’s relationship with other conflict-ridden regions.
I can’t wait to unravel this intriguing story and learn the truth behind it!
This is going to be a gripping investigation into the web of power and secrecy surrounding Prigozhin’s connection to Putin.