Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is said to have angered the Russian president by making an offer to Ukraine. Now Putin is said to be preparing a campaign against him.
Moscow - Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin may have drawn the Kremlin's anger by making an offer to Ukraine. According to the Washington Post, leaked U.S. information is said to have offered Ukrainian officials to reveal the locations of Russian positions. In return, he demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian soldiers from the city of Bakhmut. The head of the mercenary force Wagner has been trying bitterly for months to take Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.
Smear campaign against Prigozhin planned: Wagner boss apparently wanted to betray Putin's troops
In a May 15 article, The Washington Post writes that Prigozhin made the offer back in January. Now the information has been leaked to the public. Two Ukrainian officials confirmed to the newspaper that the Wagner boss had been in contact with the Ukrainian intelligence directorate HUR several times. He had often offered to exchange information about Russia for the capture of Bakhmut, but Kiev was suspicious and did not accept the offer. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, declined to comment on the alleged talks.
+Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin repeatedly criticizes weaknesses in the Russian army. (archive image)
© Dpa
Yevgeny Prigozhin himself accused the Washington Post of falsifying information and that he had previously been warned against an attempt to discredit him. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also denied the accusations on Monday, saying the information "looks like another hoax."
Prigozhin apparently in contact with Ukraine - exchange offer may have angered Putin
Prigozhin's attempt to cooperate with Ukrainian intelligence could be interpreted as part of his power struggle with the Russian Defense Ministry — rather than an attack on Putin personally, according to the ISW. Quite the opposite: "On March 12, the ISW came to the conclusion that Prigozhin is competing with the Russian Defense Ministry for Putin's favor, but has unintentionally worried Putin with his military-political ambitions."
+Vladimir Putin and his spokesman Dmitry Peskov. (Archive photo)
© ITAR-TASS/Imago
The Wagner boss could therefore have tried with the offer to put himself in a better light by a faster "victory" in Bakhmut and at the same time to damage the reputation of the Russian military leaders. The leaked documents, meanwhile, would indicate that Kiev believes that the Kremlin is aware of Prigozhin's clandestine work.
Fight for Putin's favor: Kremlin should prepare smear campaign against Prigozhin
However, since Prigozhin and his mercenary troops are of great importance on the front line in the Ukraine war, he will not be punished or deposed for the time being, according to ISW estimates. Instead, preparations are underway in the Kremlin to publicly denigrate the Wagner boss as a traitor. "Unnamed Kremlin sources revealed that the Russian presidential administration is preparing an information operation to publicly discredit Prigozhin, but noted that the Kremlin is unlikely to threaten Prigozhin as long as Wagner's troops are on the front lines," the analysis continues.
Putin's circle of power in the Kremlin – the confidants of the Russian president
Putin's circle of power in the Kremlin – the confidants of the Russian president
Prigozhin, through his role as head of the Wagner Group, has a special role that protects him from direct punishment by the Kremlin. Since Wagner is a private company and Prigozhin is not an official member of the government, he cannot be removed as boss even within the company. In addition, his deployment in Bakhmut in Ukraine is currently too significant to be deposed in the war. Yevgeny Prigozhin, meanwhile, has been playing with his position for weeks and months and publicly criticizing the Kremlin. Most recently, he attacked the Russian Defense Minister due to the Ukrainian offensive near Bakhmut. (nz)
Category list image: © dpa