Flashback: How Yevgeny Prigozhin led a shocking attempt to topple Putin
Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of Russia’s Wagner Group, was on the passenger list of a plane that crashed north of Moscow. The 62-year-old and his fighters hit international headlines after Russian invasion of Ukraine as his mercenary group-which reportedly includes thousands of convicts recruited from prison- led the Russian assault on the city of Bakhmut marking the longest and bloodiest battle of the Ukraine war. Yevgeny Prigozhin was often seen on social media trumpetting Wagner’s successes. This later turned to him waging a feud with the military establishment of Russia accusing it of incompetence and even treason.
Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin amid the group’s pullout from the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia in June. (Reuters)
What happened in Wagner’s brief June mutiny against Vladimir Putin?
In June, Yevgeny Prigozhin led a mutiny in which Wagner fighters took control of the southern city of Rostov-on-Don. They also shot down a number of military helicopters as they advanced towards Moscow.
Russian president Vladimir Putin called it an act of treachery that would meet with a harsh response. But the revolt was later defused in a deal whereby the Kremlin said that in order to “avert bloodshed”, Yevgeny Prigozhin and some of his fighters would leave for Belarus and a criminal case against him would be dropped.
Was Yevgeny Prigozhin in Belarus after that?
Confusion surrounded the implementation of the deal as the Kremlin said that he attended a meeting with Vladimir Putin five days after the mutiny. On July 5, an investigation against him was still being pursued and footage showing cash, passports, weapons and other items said were seized in a raid on one of his properties.
In late July, Yevgeny Prigozhin was photographed in St Petersburg while a Russia-Africa summit was taking place in the city.
Who is Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin?
Born in St Petersburg on June 1, 1961, Yevgeny Prigozhin spent nine years in Soviet prisons for crimes including robbery and fraud. After his releas in 1990, he launched a career as a caterer and restaurateur when he is believed to have met Putin, a top aide to St Petersburg’s mayor, at that time. Prigozhin was awarded major state contracts, becoming known as “Putin’s chef” after catering for Kremlin events. In 2014, Prigozhin founded Wagner, a private military company whose fighters have deployed in countries including Syria, Libya and the Central African Republic.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
