Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin (born 1961), is the leader of the mercenary company Wagner Group, which has just revolted against the Kremlin and the Russian military leadership. His elite mercenary business has become known for its victories, violence and, of late, clashes with the Russian government with whom it previously had a close relationship. However, of the man behind this paramilitary enterprise, fewer elements have come to the public eye until now. Once known as Putin's chef, the former criminal, later oligarch, has now bitten hard on the hand that fed him for years. Who exactly is the man who is now posing a major threat to VladimirP Putin.PHOTO BY MIKHAIL SVETLOV/GETYY IMAGES.
Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin(born 1961), is the leader of the mercenary company Wagner Group, which has just revolted against the Kremlin and the Russian military leadership. His elite mercenary business has become known for its victories, violence and, of late, clashes with the Russian government with whom it previously had a close relationship. However, of the man behind this paramilitary enterprise, fewer elements have come to the public eye until now. Once known as “Putin’s chef”,the former criminal, later oligarch, has now bitten hard on the hand that fed him for years. Who exactly is the man who is now posing a major threat to Vladimir Putin?
Prigozhin allegedly secured state contracts worth at least 2.5 billion euros, including one to distribute food to the Russian army. After this first link between the Wagner leader and the military forces, again through the kitchen, a determining factor in his next steps was his huge ambition. He started out as a contractor for the Russian military through catering, but went far beyond.PHOTO BY MIKHAIL SVETLOV/GETTY IMAGES
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