NEW DELHI: Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of mercenary group Wagner who led a short-lived revolt against Russia’s Vladimir Putin, is feared dead in a private jet crash in the Tver region north of Moscow.
There was no confirmation that Prigozhin was on board the plane, although Russia’s aviation agency said he was on the passenger list.
Here are some key facts about Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia’s Wagner Group mercenary force:
* Yevgeny Prigozhin was a Russian oligarch, mercenary chief and a close confidant of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
* Prigozhin was sometimes referred to as “Putin’s chef”, as he owned restaurants and catering companies that provided services for the Kremlin.
* Once a convict in the Soviet Union, Prigozhin controlled a network of influential companies, including the Russian state-backed mercenary company Wagner Group and three companies accused of interference in the 2016 and 2018 US elections.
* Prigozhin was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in 1961. He had a difficult childhood, spending time in a children’s home and then in a juvenile detention center.
* Prigozhin founded the Wagner Group in 2014, which has been involved in conflicts in Syria, Libya, and Ukraine. The Wagner Group has been accused of human rights abuses, including torture and summary executions.
* Prigozhin was also believed to be behind the Internet Research Agency (IRA), a troll farm that was accused of meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. The IRA used social media to spread pro-Trump propaganda and to sow discord among American voters.
* In June 2023, Prigozhin vowed to “go to the end” to topple the Russian military leadership in a mutiny against Putin. He accused the military of launching strikes on his men and said that he would “destroy everything that stands in our way.”
* Less than 24 hours later, Prigozhin turned his forces back and agreed to a deal with the Kremlin to be exiled to Belarus.
(With inputs from agencies)
There was no confirmation that Prigozhin was on board the plane, although Russia’s aviation agency said he was on the passenger list.
Here are some key facts about Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Russia’s Wagner Group mercenary force:
* Yevgeny Prigozhin was a Russian oligarch, mercenary chief and a close confidant of Russian president Vladimir Putin.
* Prigozhin was sometimes referred to as “Putin’s chef”, as he owned restaurants and catering companies that provided services for the Kremlin.
* Once a convict in the Soviet Union, Prigozhin controlled a network of influential companies, including the Russian state-backed mercenary company Wagner Group and three companies accused of interference in the 2016 and 2018 US elections.
* Prigozhin was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) in 1961. He had a difficult childhood, spending time in a children’s home and then in a juvenile detention center.
* Prigozhin founded the Wagner Group in 2014, which has been involved in conflicts in Syria, Libya, and Ukraine. The Wagner Group has been accused of human rights abuses, including torture and summary executions.
* Prigozhin was also believed to be behind the Internet Research Agency (IRA), a troll farm that was accused of meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. The IRA used social media to spread pro-Trump propaganda and to sow discord among American voters.
* In June 2023, Prigozhin vowed to “go to the end” to topple the Russian military leadership in a mutiny against Putin. He accused the military of launching strikes on his men and said that he would “destroy everything that stands in our way.”
* Less than 24 hours later, Prigozhin turned his forces back and agreed to a deal with the Kremlin to be exiled to Belarus.
(With inputs from agencies)
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