Prigozhin continues to rant – now against “Gazprom mercenaries” “This thing could go completely wrong” – ChatGPT boss warns about his own product

When the head of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, spoke about the situation in Bakhmut in April, one detail caught the attention of observers. He mentioned other groups of mercenaries, so-called PMCs, traveling through Ukraine. “Gazprom PMC Potok, PMC Bokarev, PMC Redut,” he listed them.

British broadcaster BBC Russia has now attempted to decipher the possible involvement of Russian state-owned company Gazprom in the mercenary activities. In the video Prigozhin gave to journalist Alexander Simonov of the Russian state news agency Riafan, he complained about other mercenaries in Bakhmut. “They have to tell the Kremlin who they are and that they have fielded their own troops,” lamented the man who has come to be known as “Putin’s cook”. Apparently Gazprom soldiers were meant.

Gazprom is one of the largest companies in Russia. It mainly produces natural gas and supplied the raw material until the war in Ukraine. The company is owned by the Russian state and its top man, the very wealthy oligarch Alexei Miller, is considered a good friend of dictator Vladimir Putin. Gazprom’s headquarters is located in St. Petersburg. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, among others, sat on the board of directors of the gas giant for some time.

Gazprom got security group approval

It has been proven that the Gazprom group actually set up its own security forces. A BBC investigation found that the company received a special permit from the Kremlin in February. Document 0001202302060031 of the Russian Federation states: “Give Gazprom the right to establish a private security organization (hereinafter referred to as the “Organization”).” The reason given was that this organization had to protect Gazprom’s business premises.

Since Prigozhin linked the Potok group to Gazprom, however, according to research by the BBC, there is increasing evidence of a stronger involvement in the war in Ukraine. Last April, a video appeared on Telegram in which fighters from the Potok force addressed Vladimir Putin himself, complaining about the lack of supplies. In it they mention that Gazprom had initially set up Potok as a guard and would have reached the Bakhmut combat zone in April.

The mercenaries also complained that the Gazprom leadership reportedly promised them a contract with the Defense Ministry, but they then went to Ukraine under the command of a Redut mercenary group.

Prigozhin had also mentioned this group. In the Telegram channel of blogger Woenkor Yevgeny Linin it was said: “To put it bluntly, Gazprom PMC surrendered the positions obtained by the blood of the Wagners to the armed forces of Ukraine and fled from the front.”

Two more groups under the influence of Gazprom?

The Redut force was apparently also assigned to Potok by a Russian prisoner. Alexander Tkachenko, during interrogations, of which videos have been released, reportedly said that Redut was under Potok’s command. He also spoke about two other groups, “Fakel” and “Flame”, which are also controlled by Gazprom. These would be commanded by the Russian Defense Ministry.

The BBC discovered that Alexander Tkachenko had been employed by the Orenburg company Gazprom since 1996 – at least according to his profile on social networks. He was apparently connected to the Orenburg Security Group. Which in turn has a Gazprom sign in its logo.

According to the BBC, the Redut unit has been active for some time, including in Syria. There she would only have worked as a guard at industrial factories. Prominent pro-Russian military blogger Rybar wrote on Telegram that the group has ties to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Criticism of the withdrawal of the “Fakel” unit

Prigozhin does not cease to criticize other mercenary groups, attributing them to Gazprom. In recent videos, he complained that Ministry of Defense units and “Gazprom’s PMC” covering the flanks were withdrawing from their positions.

In a May 9 video criticizing the Russian military leadership, he allegedly accused the Fakel unit of wasting government money. These would be the soldiers who would have left their positions in Bakhmut on May 12.

The Russian Defense Ministry and Gazprom were approached by the BBC for comment, but declined to comment.

(t-online, when)