Russia is winning on the battlefield in Ukraine, but it is facing a crisis at home. On the evening of the 23rd, Prigozhin, the founder of the largest Russian mercenary organization Wagner Group, suddenly released a video that shocked the world, in which he revealed the true purpose of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and accused the Russian government of sacrificing countless Russian lives for the interests of "a certain family and oligarchs."
Prigozhin also announced that the Wagner Group had taken control of the city of Rostov in southern Russia and would march on Moscow to overthrow the Putin regime. He called on the Russian people to rise up and stop being deceived by Putin. He also threatened that anyone who stood in their way would be treated as an enemy by force.
When the video was released, it caused an immediate uproar. The Russian government was quick to react, with Putin addressing the nation on the afternoon of the 24th, in which he harshly condemned Prigozhin as a "traitor", his actions as an "armed rebellion", and Russia would resolutely defend its sovereignty and security. Putin also ordered an all-out effort to quell the rebellion, arrest Prigozhin and put him on criminal trial.
This sudden civil unrest left the outside world confused and shocked. Who's Prigozhan? Why did he rebel? What's his background and purpose? How much power and influence does he have? Will he succeed in toppling Putin? All these questions deserve our in-depth discussion.
01 Prigozhin's identity can be summed up in three words: businessman, politician and mercenary.
Born in 1961, Prigozhin had a troubled childhood. His father died young, his mother was unable to discipline him, and he was socialized from an early age, receiving a suspended sentence for robbery at 16 and a 12-year sentence for fraud at 18. He spent the last years of the Soviet Union in prison and became acquainted with many underworld and political figures.
In 1990, after Prigozhin was released from prison, he began to develop in the restaurant industry, he opened a high-end restaurant in St. Petersburg, soon attracted a lot of upper-class guests, including the deputy mayor of St. Petersburg Putin. Mr. Prigozhin became friends with Mr. Putin and used his connections to expand his business. He founded Concord Management Consulting, which made huge profits in fields such as energy, security and the Internet.
Prigozhin was not only a successful businessman, but also a secretive politician. He has been accused by the United States of being behind the election interference, and he has admitted his involvement and mocked American democracy. He is also considered to be Putin's confidant and aide, solving some tough problems for Putin.
Prigozhin is best known for founding the Wagner Group, an international mercenary organization with more than 25,000 members, all of whom are highly trained elites. The Wagner Group is engaged in fighting in Syria, Libya, Central Africa and elsewhere, fighting for Russia's interests. The Wagner Group has close ties to Russia's security agencies and special forces and is seen as Putin's personal army.
02 Why did Prigozhin rebel? This is a complex issue that may involve many factors.
On the one hand, Prigozhin may be unhappy with Putin's policies, believing that Putin has sacrificed the interests of Russians for the personal gain of some families and oligarchs. In his video, Mr. Prigozhin revealed the truth about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, saying that it was not to protect Russians in eastern Ukraine, but to protect the oil and gas interests of a certain family, as well as the financial interests of certain oligarchs. He said the Russian government had deceived Russians into dying for these interests and had concealed the true casualties of Russian troops and the Wagner Group. He said he could no longer put up with such lies and betrayals and wanted to tell the truth for the Russian people and let them know who their enemy was.
