Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch of Jewish origin with a criminal record during Soviet times, became rich through his personal ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He was best known in the years leading up to 2014 for the bot farm he opened in the service of the Kremlin. He later became known as "Putin's chef" due to huge catering contracts his businesses received.
Attack on the Wagner convoy from the air | Social Networks
Wagner Group - Background
The private military company Wagner – a mercenary organization that worked informally for Russia's interests in eastern Ukraine back in 2014, then in Syria and since then has been concentrated mainly in Africa – was called in to help the Russian army when the attempt to conquer Ukraine in the blitz completely failed. Wagner units were stationed in Donbass, and in August last year received a particularly generous gift from Putin: the possibility of recruiting prisoners in penal colonies and promising them amnesty if they fought for a certain period of time against the Ukrainian army. Some 20,<> prisoners on loan have been killed in the fighting, and since January Wagner has been complaining at an increasing rate of undersupply of shells.
According to Prigozhin and his staff, the Ministry of Defense was jealous of Wagner's successes, which only highlighted the mismanagement of the war so far, and decided to strangle its units, which eventually managed to almost completely capture the city of Bakhmut. The Defense Ministry first ignored the calls, then promised to supply the shells - but according to Prigozhin, they did not promise to keep.
The clashes intensified, reaching the point where Prigozhin vigorously cursed Defense Minister Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov, directly blaming them for the loss of thousands of soldiers. The spiral of events spiraled further in recent weeks, when Shoigu issued an order stating that all "volunteer units" – including the Wagner Force – were obliged to sign new contracts with the Department of Defense and defy its authority. Unlike other mercenary companies, Prigozhin immediately and publicly refused, repeating his refusal even after Russian President Vladimir Putin hinted that it should be done. Prigozhin's reasoning? He is unwilling to obey the failed military command.
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