Vladimir Putin’s Butcher Wants To Get Into Politics This fake news about the earthquake circulated and was refuted

Jegweni Prigozhin (61) is not exactly a radiant man. “He has become a symbol of Russia at war,” the New York Times describes him. “Unscrupulous, shameless and lawless.” The “NZZ” doesn’t mince words either. She notes, “His rudeness makes him a ghostly symbol of the current state of Russia.”

Despite this, this “ghostly symbol” has become a factor in Russian politics. Again the “NZZ”: “Prigozhin’s name has been on everyone’s lips for several months. Russia’s war against Ukraine has, at first glance, turned the secretive servant into a major political player.”

Prigozhin is a former criminal. During the USSR, he spent ten years in a prison camp for armed robbery. However, in the 1990s Russia entered the era of the “Wild East”. Prigozhin was released, made his first money at a hot dog stand, and soon became a central figure in the St. Petersburg mafia.

At the time, Vladimir Putin was the right-hand man of then mayor Anatoly Sobchak, but the de facto strongman in the city. In the battle for the port, Putin and Prigozhin were victorious, establishing a male friendship – and cooperation between the secret service and the mafia. Both have survived to this day.

When Putin became president, Prigozhin not only became his chef – he got this nickname because he founded a successful restaurant chain – but soon became his man for the rough. He founded a mercenary company, which he named Wagner in honor of the German composer. Although Russia officially made mercenaries illegal, Prigozhin’s men soon became active in Syria, supporting the forces of dictator Bashar al-Assad.

In addition, the Wagner mercenaries are increasingly appearing in Africa. However, it was Putin’s war against Ukraine that made her famous and infamous. They profit from the failure of the Russian army, which, at least initially, ruined everything that could be ruined. Prigozhin’s mercenaries played a key role in the few successes the Russians have had since, especially in the Battle of Bakhmut.

The Wagner group is characterized by incredible brutality and hopeless cynicism. Their supply was increased to 50,000 men with prisoners. They are promised freedom if they prove themselves on the battlefield for six months. However, few can enjoy it. Poorly equipped and poorly trained, the convicts were sent against the fortified positions of the Ukrainian troops. Those who refuse will be shot, those who desert will be killed with a sledgehammer. The offerings are appropriate. Of the first 50,000 men, 40,000 would be dead or wounded.

Meanwhile, Prigozhin has announced that he does not want to take any more prisoners. Despite this, he continues to brag about his achievements. He and his mercenaries claim to have just captured a village near Bachmut. He says via video, “Only Wagner fighters are active within a 30-mile radius of Bachmut.” This statement cannot be verified.

Prigozhin apparently wants to convert his alleged military successes into political capital. He is increasingly attacking leading figures in Putin’s circle, such as Valery Gerasimov, the commander-in-chief of the army, who has recently taken direct responsibility for the war in Ukraine. He allows two Wagner mercenaries to berate Gerasimov, accusing him of not supplying them with enough ammunition.

Yevgeny Prigozhin attacks Putin’s friends

Or Prigozhin attacks Alexander Beglov, the governor of St. Petersburg and Putin’s closest confidant, head-on. He recently described him as a “parasite and swindler who only thinks about lining his own pockets”. Without naming specific names, Prigozhin also accused senior Kremlin officials of “waiting for Russia to lose the war and for the Americans to invade.”

Prigozhin clearly wants to gain political influence, but it is unclear what exactly he intends. Oleg Matvechev, a longtime deputy from Putin’s United Russia party, told the New York Times: “We don’t understand his political ambitions.” Meanwhile, Prigozhin has moved closer to the Fair Russia party, a nationalist party that fully supports the war against Ukraine. Sergei Miranov, the leader of this party, recently demonstratively had himself photographed with a sledgehammer, the instrument used by Wagner mercenaries to slaughter alleged traitors.

However, Prigozhin’s political ambitions are reaching their limits. Political scientist Alexander Kynev explains: “Prigozhin acts like a politician, but there are currently no vacancies for him in Russia.”

A pressing question in Moscow’s political circles right now is: how long will Putin let his mob friend do it? The political scientist Tatiana Stanovaya replies in the New York Times: “As long as Putin is firmly in the saddle and he can play the different interest groups against each other, Prigozhin can feel safe. But war breeds monsters that can become dangerous to the state if it shows weakness.”