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"Putin's cook" Prigozhin surprises with "confession" to Russia's shadow army

2022-09-27T03:28:58.873Z


"Putin's cook" Prigozhin surprises with "confession" to Russia's shadow army Created: 09/27/2022, 05:12 By: Franziska Schwarz Also known as "Putin's Chef": Yevgeny Prigozhin (archive image from 2016) © ITAR-TASS/Imago The Russian oligarch Prigozhin is considered a confidante of Kremlin boss Putin and commander of the notorious mercenary group Wagner. Now the 61-year-old confesses. Moscow - Ye


"Putin's cook" Prigozhin surprises with "confession" to Russia's shadow army

Created: 09/27/2022, 05:12

By: Franziska Schwarz

Also known as "Putin's Chef": Yevgeny Prigozhin (archive image from 2016) © ITAR-TASS/Imago

The Russian oligarch Prigozhin is considered a confidante of Kremlin boss Putin and commander of the notorious mercenary group Wagner.

Now the 61-year-old confesses.

Moscow - Yevgeny Prigozhin are said to have close ties to Putin.

The Russian businessman has now announced his founding of the Wagner mercenary group - and has confirmed their operations in countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

He founded the group in May 2014 to send fighters to the Ukrainian Donbass, Prigozhin said in a statement from his company.

From this point on, "a group of patriots" was born, which "later received the name battalion tactical group Wagner".

Prigozhin further explained: "And now a confession (...) these guys, heroes, defended the Syrian people, other peoples in Arab countries, the disadvantaged in Africa and Latin America, they have become a pillar of our fatherland."

For years, the paramilitary Wagner group has been suspected of working in secret for the Kremlin at various conflict sites.

Moscow has always denied this and denied any connection with paramilitary groups.

Prigozhin himself was for a time one of the suppliers to the Kremlin's kitchens, earning him the nickname "Putin's Chef".

Speculations about "Putin's cook" Prigozhin: Is he sawing on Putin's chair?

Reports have been circulating in Russia for weeks that Prigozhin is illegally recruiting prisoners in penal camps for the war in Ukraine - due to a lack of Russian personnel at the front in Ukraine. 

A few days ago, a current video with Prigozhin caused even more speculation about Prigozhin - a rarity for the Wagner commander for a long time.

It shows him apparently holding a briefing with the military.

Hristo Grozev from the international research network

Bellingcat

wrote about the video that Prigozhin continues to publish material showing him as the supreme commander.

And: "Wagner people have told me that they would prefer him to Putin at any time, and it looks as if he has tasted blood." Because: Vladimir Putin is currently having to accept the successes of Ukraine's counter-offensive.

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Ex-oligarch warns the West: In this scenario, "Putin will be at the NATO border tomorrow"

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Power struggle between Putin and Prigozhin?

“Could be an interesting game”

A confrontation between the two men was therefore also considered possible by Anders Östlund from the Center for European Politics Analysis (CEPA).

Prigozhin would have his Wagner mercenaries behind him, Putin the National Guard.

The question arises as to which side the secret service, foreign intelligence service or military intelligence service would then be on: "It could be an interesting game after Russia's defeat in Ukraine."

(frs with material from AFP and dpa)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-09-27

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