This weekend, the founder of the Wagner Group, Yevgeniy Prigozhin launched a mutiny against the Russian Ministry of Defense, thereby capturing the headquarters of the Southern Military District, located in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, before on returning to Moscow. However, Yevgeniy Prigozhin halted his advance without any violent confrontation. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, first accused Yevgeniy Prigozhin of treason and was later persuaded to drop the charges. Yevgeniy Prigozhin plans to go to Belarus.
Vladimir Putin let Yevgeniy Prigozhin go
The Kremlin has publicly assured that Yevgeniy Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Group, has kept Putin’s “word” that the former can safely leave the country, after he is, very easily, dismissed. drop all criminal charges against him.
What could have helped the Russian President decide to let things go? Well, according to some experts, Yevgeniy Prigozhin and his mercenary Wagner gained control of Rostov very easily, which probably damaged the President’s image of “strong leader” Russia. When Putin decided and vowed to take “brutal” measures against the coup organizers, they soon left. Not to be missed, crowds of Rostovs supporting the Wagner warriors were seen cheering for them and shaking hands with them, as seen in some of the captured videos. This is considered a factor that makes the whole thing go easily.
A little about Wagner Group
The Wagner Group’s mercenary organization was first identified in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea. Essentially, it was a network of contractors that provided supplies to soldiers for hire. In 2022, the corporation is registered as a company. The company then opened a new headquarters in St. Petersburg.
Initially, this group only had 5,000 warriors and operated mostly in secrecy. These 5,000 fighters are already active, especially in West Asia and Africa. However, in the following years, this group expanded significantly and included 50,000 fighters, a number that is also only in Ukraine. According to reports, about 80% of the Group’s troops in Ukraine are actually hired from prison.
Yevgeny Prigozhin
Yevgeny Prigozhin is the leader of the Wagner Group. The man was born in 1961 and was imprisoned in his 20s for fraud and robbery. After being released from Soviet prison and the collapse of the Soviet Union occurred, Yevgeny Prigozhin began to pursue a “business path”. This man started selling hot dogs and soon established a large restaurant in his hometown, that is, St. Petersburg. This luxurious restaurant has become a popular spot and a favorite of the Russian elite, including Vladimir Putin, who was then deputy mayor.
Since the restaurant became famous, Yevgeny Prigozhin began to build close relationships with important people. This helped the man expand his business. When Vladimir Putin became president, Yevgeny Prigozhin received the opportunity to preside over government contracts. Soon, Yevgeny Prigozhin became known as “Putin’s Chef”. While the restaurant provided the owner with lucrative income, he ended up embarking on another journey into private military service.
: Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group?
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: pagasa.edu.vn