"Putin's cook": How powerful is Wagner boss Prigozhin really in Russia?

Created: 01/14/2023 07:49

By: Nadja Zinsmeister

Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin, also known as "Putin's cook".

(Archive photo) © IMAGO / ITAR-TASS

In the shadow of the Ukraine war, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozchin gains more and more influence through his mercenary business.

But how far does it really go?

Munich/Moscow - The Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin gains more and more attention in the course of the Ukraine war.

Only recently did it become public that he had apparently once again recruited men in Russian prisons as soldiers by promising them freedom after six months in exchange for their service on the front lines.

Prigozhin, also known as Putin's cook, is profiting economically from the war, is considered a close confidant of the Russian president and, according to rumors, is steadily expanding his power base in Russia.

This raises the question: is the Wagner boss really dangerous or is he just acting as Putin's puppet?

The Russian businessman has a long history.

He initially served nine years in prison after being arrested in 1981 for robbery and other crimes.

gave an insight into his convictions

.

After his release, Prigozhin found his way directly to Vladimir Putin as a caterer and restaurant owner, including being said to own the only private restaurant in the Russian Parliament building and being hired by the Kremlin for banquets and events.

Because of his proximity to the Russian President, he was nicknamed “Putin's cook”.

He also received orders from the state with his catering company "Concord" and supplied schools with food, for example, reports the

"Putin's cook" Yevgeny Prigozhin: Head of the Wagner troupe earns a fortune from the Russian state

But Prigozhin is not only known as "Putin's cook".

At the moment, attention is more focused on his existence as the mercenary boss of the "Wagner" troupe, to which he only wanted to publicly acknowledge a few months ago.

The troops, which are used in many international conflicts and are considered highly controversial due to their brutal work, are also on the front line in the Ukraine war for Russia.

According to research by the journalist organization OCCRP, he is also suspected of fighting on behalf of the Russian government in Syria and maintaining a strong presence in Africa. 

People at the entrance of the newly opened PMC Wagner Center in St. Petersburg.

It is a project of Prigozhin's private military company.

© IMAGO/Valentin Yegorshin/ITAR-TASS

It appears to be a profitable deal for both sides: by employing private mercenary troops, the Kremlin can deny shady operations abroad, while the Wagner boss earns a fortune with them in return.

According to the

, for example, Wagner's mission in Ukraine costs 100 million US dollars every month.

That would have been US estimates.

However, there is no precise insight into the business.

But how powerful does his machinations make Prigozhin in the end?

The entrepreneur is ultimately a man "whose wealth depends on the Kremlin," the

quotes Russia and military expert Mark Galeotti from his book "Putin's Wars."

"Russia is a hybrid state where the boundaries between public and private are very porous, and Wagner appears to operate in both spheres." The Kremlin itself denies any ties to the Wagner troupe.

Wagner boss Prischogin: How powerful is Putin's chef making the mercenary business in Ukraine?

According to the political analyst Alexandra Prokopenko, however, it is questionable whether his wealth will also give him influential power in Russia at the same time.

In November, in an article published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, regarding the position of power held by Prishogin and two other Russian figures, she wrote: “In the Russian power system, a person's importance is not determined by their media activity, but by a single man: the Russian President Vladimir Putin.” According to her, Prishogin could use the war to raise his public profile.

But whether he actually gains influence with it is ultimately in Putin's hands.

Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin attends the funeral of a Wagner Group fighter who died during a special operation in Ukraine, at a cemetery outside St Petersburg.

© Uncredited/AP/dpa

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Putin increasingly dependent on Prigozhin and his Wagner group

According to studies by the Washington-based Middle East Institute, however, Putin's dependency on Prigozhin's Wagner group is increasing, and with it his position of power.

"Russia's dwindling prospects in the war in Ukraine and Prigozhin's growing political clout have transformed the Wagner group from a shadowy group of covert ops into a trusted, or at least necessary, support force in the trenches," the institute observes.

As Putin's dependence grew, the political power of the military in Russia would be undermined more and more.

The stronger Prigozhin's position in Putin's inner circle, the more demands he can make.

"He could push for the Russian government to finally lift its ban on private security and military companies and pave the way for the Wagner Group to become a more open and institutionalized vehicle of Russian hard power."