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France 24
France 24
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François PICARD

Wagner on all fronts: Why does Putin's private army suddenly seek spotlight?

THE DEBATE © FRANCE 24

His latest rant included a line about the "happy grandfather" bungling Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. It was posted on May 9, just as Vladimir Putin was presiding over the Victory Day parade on Red Square. Who was Yevgeny Prigozhin referring to and why has he himself spectacularly stepped out of the shadows of running a troll farm and a mercenary group to grab the spotlight?

The former Saint-Petersburg hot dog salesman has become so high-profile that he's now a magnet for Western sanctions. Never has the leader of the Wagner Group directly criticised the big boss, so it’s anyone’s guess if it’s not just a bit of court intrigue and theatrics.

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