THE Wagner Group Levgeny Prigozhin was killed after Putin’s declared enemy died in a private jet crash.
The oligarch was killed not long after he seized a Russian military HQ in June 2023.
Yevgeny Prigozhin (centre) was the leader of the Wagner GroupRex
What is the Wagner Group?
The Wagner Group, officially known as PMC Wagner, is a Russian paramilitary organisation that was founded in 2014.
It was run by Putin’s former close ally Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Russia calls the Wagner Group a “private military company,” though it has been labelled as a network of mercenaries by others.
It is believed that, as of December 2022, the Wagner Group had an estimated 50,000 personnel inside Ukraine.
This number was made up of around 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convicts from Russian prisons, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said via NBC News.
In the wake of the group’s rebellion against Putin, videos posted on social media showed banners urging people to join the Wagner Group being torn down in Russian cities.
Who was Yevgeny Prigozhin?
Yevgeny Prigozhin was the leader of the Wagner Group and was at the forefront of their involvement in the war on Ukraine.
He was a close confidant of Putin but became his greatest enemy when he launched an alleged coup in June 2023.
In the past, Prigozhin was often referred to as “Putin’s chef” as he owned a number of restaurants and catering companies that provided services for the Kremlin.
Prigozhin appeared to trigger a crisis after he vowed to “punish” Russia, blaming the Kremlin for a missile attack on a Wagner training camp in Bakhmut, Ukraine, which killed dozens.
Prigozhin and his troops had been fighting in Putin’s war in Ukraine – but the Wagner boss had become a vocal critic of Russia’s military leadership.
In the early hours of June 24, 2023, he announced he had taken control of the Russian army HQ in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, vowing to take the fight to Moscow.
In a series of videos and audio clips posted online, Prigozhin said: “We will destroy anyone who stands in our way…we are moving forward and will go until the end.”
He called for an armed rebellion against Russia’s top generals and defence minister Sergei Shoigu.
Why was the Wagner group in Rostov-on-Don?
On June 24, 2023, Prigozhin accused Russian troops of launching a rocket attack that killed a number of his fighters.
Prigozhin said he was inside Russian army headquarters in Rostov-on-Don and that his forces would march on the streets.
He also claimed his fighters were in control of the city’s military sites.
A Russian security source also claimed that Wagner fighters had taken control of all military facilities in the city of Voronezh, around 310 miles south of Moscow.
Prigozhin promised Wagner would topple Moscow’s military leadership and claimed his 25,000 fighters were “ready to die”.
Russia’s security services responded to his declaration of an armed rebellion by calling for his arrest.
Security was ramped up in both Rostov and Moscow, with footage from Russia’s capital showing armoured vehicles racing along the streets.
Roadblocks manned by special forces were set up around the city as military officials made efforts to secure both the Kremlin and Russia’s parliamentary building, the Duma.
What has Vladimir Putin said about Yevgeny Prigozhin?
Following Prigozhin’s declaration, Putin gave an emergency address calling the Wagner Group’s “armed mutiny” a “stab in the back”.
In a televised speech, Putin said: “This is a criminal campaign. It is equivalent to armed mutiny. Russia will defend itself and repel this move.
“We are fighting for the life and security of our citizens and our territorial integrity. Everything has to be done in order to put this danger to rest.
“It is an attempt to subvert us from inside. This is treason. In the face of those who are fighting on the front, this is a stab in the back of the troops and the people of Russia.”
The Russian president also warned of “inevitable punishment” for those attacking “the motherland”, vowing to defend Russia against “anarchy”.
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