[ad_1]
The Kremlin has long denied any links to the Wagner Group. How did a sausage seller become so fat on Russian contracts and lead a deadly flock of “wild geese” by the thousands? About 20,000 prisoners convicted of brutal crimes in the Ukraine War were recruited to be added to the professional fighters.
“Chef Putin”
After being imprisoned in 1981 and serving a 9-year sentence, Prigozhin started a hot dog stand, beginning a career that would lead to shops, restaurants, and lucrative Kremlin catering and construction contracts.
In St. Petersburg, Prigozhin opens a comical floating restaurant, the New Island Restaurant, which becomes popular with oligarchs and officials.
Putin began visiting the restaurant, which led Prigozhin to organize lavish state banquets for the Kremlin.
She is often seen and photographed floating around a poutine table, sometimes even perched on plates. He earns the nickname “Putin’s Chef”
Wagner Group.
It operates in secret, offering the Russian state plausible deniability of jobs that require black labor—fighting, killing, including mass execution, imparting military training—to impose Russian power and exercise its influence.
This army of private mercenaries first caught the world’s attention during Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Prigozhin admitted in September 2022 that he founded the Wagner Group.
The private military company takes its name from the nom de guerre of Lt. Col. Dmitry Valerievich Utkin, the Ukrainian-born GRU Spetsnaz commander who fought in both Chechen wars. It is said that Utkin was fond of Nazi ideology and their favorite composer, Richard Wagner.
It’s like Nazi Germany’s Dirlewanger Brigade, a squad of criminals; considered expendable; Participated in the destruction of Warsaw in 1944.
Wagner fighters have been deployed from Europe to Central Africa. Used to advance Russian interests in Ukraine, Syria, South Sudan, Mali, Mozambique, Central African Republic, and Venezuela. He served many dictators, particularly in Africa. Wagner personnel were sent to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to attempt to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky; they failed.
The Wagner Group is not registered anywhere in the world. Interestingly, mercenaries in Russia are prohibited by law.
Its “soldiers” were ordered to run towards the enemy or to shoot them from behind. While recruiting prisoners, Prigozhin tells them that only “God or God” can bring them out of prison, but in a coffin, while he will take them alive “although I won’t always bring you back like that.” Then they are given 5 minutes to choose.
It inspired the Mozart Group, founded by retired US Navy Colonel Andrew Milburn as an armed response to the “Wagner Group”.
[ad_2]
