Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of Wagner’s private army, has openly rebelled against his patron Vladimir Putin, and the Kremlin chief has called him a traitor. Now he is said to have died in a plane crash. What is known about the man?
Note: This portrait first appeared on June 24th on stern.de. Due to current events, we are re-publishing this in an updated version.
The Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin was feared as head of Wagner’s private army. Two months ago, on June 23 of this year, the 62-year-old instigated an uprising against the Moscow military leadership, but called for a retreat. After that, he fell out of favor with Vladimir Putin, his president and patron, and the Wagner boss had to go to Belarus. Little has been heard from Prigozhin since the revolt.
On Wednesday, a report went around the world: Prigozhin is said to have died when a passenger plane crashed in the Tver region, north-west of Moscow. His name was in the passenger list of the crashed plane, the Russian news agency Tass reported, citing the aviation authority. What exactly happened on board the machine was initially unclear. It is also unclear so far: whether the Wagner boss is actually dead. According to his Telegram channel Gray Zone, he is dead. However, there is no official confirmation.
What is known about the man who became infamous as “Putin’s cook”?
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
