Who is the mysterious group of mercenaries Wagner?: They teach the elites of Moscow to be afraid

The world seems to stand still, wondering: is this a civil war? Has it already been turned away? Or will the coup attempt fail faster than it started? Powerful forces vie for supremacy. But above all there is uncertainty.

On Friday, Yevgeny Prigozhin (62), head of the 50,000-strong Wagner mercenary force, turned right. From that moment on, his people no longer fought against Ukraine, but had declared war on their own warlord Vladimir Putin (70) – and set sail for the Kremlin.

Prigozhin rages against the Russian elite

The escalation was preceded by hateful arguments about the right tactics in the war over Ukraine. The main target of the mercenary leader is Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (68). Prigozhin goes on a rampage against the Russian elite, though it was Moscow’s inner circle of power that made the insurgents great in the first place.

The unscrupulous businessman was Putin’s confidant for many years. The mercenaries, who tortured and killed prisoners, conducted sensitive overseas operations in Africa and the Middle East, with the semi-state structure helping to cover all traces to the Kremlin.

Prigozhin runs a restaurant in the government district, where Putin is said to have once been. That is why the Wagner boss is known all over the world as “Putin’s cook”. A chef who was once imprisoned for theft later ran a conglomerate company and troll factory with which he has been accused of rigging the 2020 US presidential election.

Product of Putin’s aggressive expansionist policies

It was not until September 2022 that Prigozhin first publicly admitted that he had founded the mercenary force – in 2014 after the invasion of the Ukrainian Donbass: the Wagner group is therefore a product of Putin’s aggressive expansionist policies. Prigozhin’s men are said to have played a key role in the conquests in Luhansk and Donetsk provinces. The international community accuses the group of involvement in the massacre in Bucha, Ukraine. The bloody defeat of the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut is considered Prigozhin’s greatest military success.

In addition to mercenary leader, former Secret Service agent Dmitri Utkin (53), the official commander tattooed with Nazi symbols, is a co-founder. He is said to admire the German composer Richard Wagner (1813-1883) – hence the name of the organization.

However, the militia has little in common with the distinction of a Wagner symphony: they recruit their members from among volunteers, including prisoners. 32,000 prisoners were said to have been released in this way – according to Prigozhin, about a third of them lost their lives in the battle for Bakhmut alone.

Putin speaks of “stab in the back”

With the Russian public, the Wagner people enjoyed sympathy to the end. Yesterday Putin opponent and ex-oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky (59) called on the population to support the uprising.

Meanwhile, Putin commented on his former confidante’s mutiny, denouncing it as a “stab in the back” of the nation; his accomplice, ex-president Dmitry Medvedev (57), warns of a coup.

The capital of Russia is arming itself against the advancing troops: sandbags are piled up at the entrances to Moscow, grenade launchers are set up and trenches are dug. A checkpoint has been set up on at least one part of the ring road. “Security measures are being increased at a number of exits,” state news agency Ria Novosti reports.

Travel to Russia is not recommended

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin (65) urged Moscow residents to stay at home; he declared Monday a non-working day for security reasons. “An anti-terrorist state of emergency has been declared in Moscow. The situation is difficult,” Sobyanin admitted. It’s about “minimizing the risks”.

The West is also concerned. US President Joe Biden (80) discussed the situation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (65), French President Emmanuel Macron (45) and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (43) – in their conversation they reiterated their “unwavering support for Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry in Bern announced yesterday via Twitter that the latest events in the Russian Federation are “closely monitored” and are “in constant contact with its embassy in Moscow” to “assess the situation”. Non-urgent travel to and stays in Russia are currently not recommended.

So far there has been little concern in federal Bern anyway. State Councilor Franz Grüter (59), chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee, sees no reason to put the development on the agenda. “This has no direct impact on Switzerland. So no immediate action is needed,’ said the SVP politician.

The apparent turning point came last night: Prigozhin stopped his people in front of Moscow. They don’t want bloodshed on Russian soil. Putin’s seat is secured for now – and his opponent Prigozhin is finally established as a powerhouse in the vast country.