The personality cult surrounding Prigozhin lives on – at least in the film. More and more videos of the dead Wagner boss are appearing on the internet. The only question is: for how much longer?
St. Petersburg – He was the leader of a brutal mercenary group, but many in Russia celebrate Yevgeny Prigozhin as a hero. But after his death in a plane crash, the power apparatus wants the president Wladimir Putin the worship of the boss of the Wagner group to stop. The funeral was organized with great secrecy. But despite all efforts, the personality cult lives on. Does the mercenary boss still pose a great danger to the Kremlin chief even from the grave?
Despite the funeral: Prigozhin lives on in new videos
In any case, since the funeral of Yevgeny Prigozhin, more and more videos have been appearing on the Internet – with clear attacks on the Russian state leadership. On Tuesday evening, a two-minute cut from an old recording went viral on X (formerly Twitter). In the clip, the Wagner boss lives on and attacks the entire Russian leadership. In doing so, he accuses a corrupt clan in relation to the Ukraine war many “lies” and “deceptions”. In the end, the “bunch of shit… but they have to realize that they screwed it up,” the mercenary boss rants.
Prigozhin video dates from before the Wagner group uprising
The angry speeches are not new. Two months before his fatal plane crash, Prigozhin, out of frustration at the Russian warfare, had instigated an uprising and marched his troops towards Moscow. He had previously recorded several videos and distributed them through his Telegram channels. The full version of the now abridged clip was posted on April 23, before the mutiny that ended a few kilometers from the Russian capital.
It is unclear who leaks the new compilations. However, Prigozhin enjoyed a high reputation in the ranks of his private army until the very end and he was also celebrated in parts of the population for his supposed military successes – even though they were mostly achieved using inhuman and extremely brutal methods, such as in the month-long Battle of Bachmut. But because he always stood in front of his mercenaries, they swore revenge after Prigozhin’s death.
Prigozhin dead: causes of the plane crash remain unclear
But revenge on whom? The exact background to the plane crash is still unclear. One thing is certain: Prigozhin is dead. He died a week ago when his private jet crashed on the way from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The US suspects that a bomb on board detonated the plane that the Kremlin may have planted there in retaliation for the failed Wagner uprising. There is no evidence. The Kremlin rejects an international investigation.
Prigozhin’s successor: Elizarov will not be able to fill the gap
With Prigozhin, the entire leadership team died. His deputy, Dimitri Utkin, was also on board the ship. The Wagner bosses certainly reckoned with a possible death. After all, they had taken precautions and had apparently chosen Anton Olegovich Elizarov as his successor in the event of her disappearance.
But the majority of experts assume that the former field commander will not be able to fill the gap left by him. In the podcast of Novaya Gazeta Europe said the journalist Olga Romanowa: “It’s actually the end of Wagner. They can wave flowers and teddy bears as much as they want in their memorial camps, but that’s the end of it.” Because whether they like it or not – the name Wagner is now associated with something negative in Russia, and new leaders prefer not to deal with it to be connected. “Everyone is now afraid to take responsibility, to announce something and to continue the activities of the troupe,” confirmed a lawyer connected to the Wagner troupe Mirror.
Wagner Group at an end: companies like Redut and Convoy share Prigozhin’s legacy
The Wagner group does indeed appear to be in disarray after Prigozhin’s death. The Russian political scientist Michael Naki observes strong poaching attempts by other private armies. Above all, military companies like Redut and Convoy share Prigozhin’s legacy. The most important commanders are said to have already been poached for the lucrative Africa business. According to media reports, the companies have personal databases with which they specifically address the Wagner mercenaries. In contrast to the Wagner army, however, Redut and Convoy are more closely tied to the Kremlin. Only recently did the Ministry of Defense allow the private mercenaries to take an oath of allegiance.
Funeral of Prigozhin: Putin has Prigozhin’s hero status wiped out
Overall, Moscow is doing a good job of eliminating the Wagner group. After Putin publicly denounced his former companion as a “traitor” after the mutiny, the public ostracism continued even after his death. In order to keep the hero worship as small as possible, the burial was carried out in complete silence and in the smallest family circle. There was no state funeral for Prigozhin, who was decorated with medals. Official state representatives did not come to the funeral either. After all, the Kremlin let it be known that Prigozhin was merely a “businessman”. (jkf)
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