Son inherits mercenary? : Wagner boss Prigozhin’s will leaked – the details and the speculation they trigger

After the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the remaining Wagner fighters await their fate. The Kremlin is working on a solution. Prigozhin’s son is also said to be in discussion. Not only could he inherit all of his father’s fortune, but also command of the mercenaries.

When Yevgeny Prigozhin died on August 23, he left a vacuum full of uncertainty. Even though his death was only a matter of time after his failed coup attempt, the fate of the remnants of his former empire is still uncertain.

Now a document has appeared on social networks that apparently represents the estate of the fallen head of the Wagner mercenaries. According to the multi-page letter, Prigozhin left all his property to his son Pavel Prigozhin. “I bequeath to Pawel all of my assets that will be in my possession at the time of my death, regardless of what they may look like or where they may be, and also those that I may acquire in the future Yevgenyevich Prigozhin,” is the exact wording of the document.

The document is dated March 2, 2023. All evidence points to its authenticity. Telegram channels that are close to the Wagner mercenaries believe the will is genuine and see their own information confirmed. The Telegram channel Vchk-OGPU reported on September 9th that Prigozhin’s inheritance case had been opened in St. Petersburg – a standard procedure in Russia. “According to Prigozhin’s will, his son Pavel inherits almost everything. And his daughters inherit almost nothing,” it said, citing an internal source. “The entire business, all the companies, all the property – except for a few objects left to his daughters – go to Pavel. He declared himself Yevgeny Prigozhin’s successor in all matters,” the Telegram channel quoted its anonymous informant as saying.

Watch the video: Moscow reporter about the future of the Wagner mercenary force.

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s daughters and wife go away empty-handed

The Wagner source’s statement corresponds to the content of the document that has now emerged. Prigozhin’s two daughters, Polina and Veronika, as well as his wife Lyubov are left empty-handed.

Only in the event that Pavel Prigozhin had died before or at the same time as his father could the women of the family have been able to divide the assets equally between themselves. A quarter each would have gone to his two daughters, his wife and his grandson.

Now the women of the Prigozhin family have to hope for Pavel’s charity. According to the leaked document, the will only requires him to ensure a “dignified life” for Prigozhin’s mother, his daughters and his wife, who has already changed her last name.

Even before his death, Prigozhin’s family was said to have been at odds. Neither his daughters nor his wife came to his funeral. Only Pawel and his mother Violetta were seen at the grave of the Wagner leader – most recently on the 40th day after his death, a traditionally important day for the memory of the deceased in Russia.

But what exactly Prigozhin was able to leave to his son remains uncertain. His media empire was dismantled shortly after his failed march on Moscow. His business structure worked through countless front men and shell companies, so that almost nothing is registered to him personally.

Teaser

Pawel Prigozhin as Wagner heir?

Very little is known about Pavel Prigozhin. The will at least now shows his date of birth: July 18, 1998. Yevgeny Prigozhin himself once reported on his military career: “My son began military service at the age of 18 and completed it dutifully. A month later he went to war in Syria. Since then he has been in the ranks of the Wagner mercenaries constantly in combat zones, where he also received his first Black Cross.”Civey pacifism before and after the start of the Ukraine War

The Black Cross is an order of the Wagner troupe for special achievements, but it is only the lowest level of possible honorary orders.

However, his career in the ranks of the Wagner mercenaries may not be over yet. After the will surfaced, sources close to Wagner give reason to suspect that Pawel is currently negotiating with the National Guard “Rossgvardija” about taking over a unit of Wagner mercenaries. The National Guard reports to the presidential administration and therefore directly to Vladimir Putin.

A bait for Wagner fighters?

Accordingly, the Wagner mercenaries should be given the opportunity to forego a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense. The force could once again act independently of Sergei Shoigu’s ministry. In this case, the Wagner fighters could keep their name, their symbols, their ideology, their commanders and their working methods, it was said.

“Yevgeny Prigozhin was very pedantic about his confidants. His son, regardless of his blood relationship, has become the only worthy heir to everything that Yevgeny Viktorovich was able to achieve,” said the Telegram channel Gray Zone, which was long considered Prigozhin’s communication medium. Pawel has now taken over his father’s business and, as commander of the Wagner fighters, is negotiating their return to the front. Pawel himself wrote on Telegram: “I have taken command of the Wagner group.”

teaser

Pavel Prigozhin as an alternative to the Kremlin candidate

Most recently it became known that Andrei Troshev would be entrusted with the leadership of all mercenary troops in the service of the Kremlin, including the Wagner fighters. Troshev was already a high-ranking Wagner commander under Prigozhin and now works in the Defense Ministry. Vladimir Putin received him in Moscow last week. He is said to have warned the Kremlin early on about Prigozhin’s plan for an uprising last June.

But not all key players agree with his personality, including the head of the Wagner security service, Mikhail Watanin. He is said to have brought Pavel Prigozhin into play to offer an alternative to Andrei Troshev, who was preferred by the Kremlin and the Defense Ministry.

Sources from Telegram channels close to Wagner also report that Prigozhin Junior is not an independent actor. Apparently, Watanin wants to sell the Wagner fighters the illusion that they can serve the heir of their beloved leader, while he himself pulls the strings – and takes over the billion-dollar business of the Wagner structures.