[ad_1]
Businessman Prigozhin, who got rich mainly through catering companies, has been building a private army since 2014 – the Wagner mercenaries, which are fighting not only in Ukraine, but also first in Syria and then, in particular, on the African continent, in Moscow.
When Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine fell far short of expectations, Prigozhin became a sharp critic of Russia’s military leadership—until Wagner launched an armed uprising against the Kremlin in June. The march on Moscow was subsequently called off, but Prigozhin fell into disgrace. On August 23, 2023, the plane carrying Prigozhin and his closest allies crashed, leaving no one alive. Few believed the accident that the official report said had occurred.
Mercenaries hired from other armies
After the uprising, thousands of Wagner mercenaries were brought to Belarus – although most did not stay for long. The Russian National Guard offered many fighters transfers, and other private armies, such as the Redut Group, Patriot Forces and the three combat units of Gazprom, Fakr, Pramdja and Potok Energy, also competed for mercenaries: In recent years, the Wagner model has flourished and has also been commercially successful.
Especially in Africa, this commitment is a win-win situation for all involved: Wagner has been operating in many countries in recent years, especially in the politically unstable Sahel region. On the one hand, as the long arm of the Kremlin, compliant politicians are supported, and on the other hand, the company ensures the exploitation of natural resources.
Mali suffers setback
Despite the combat unit’s official renaming as the African Corps, people are still talking about the Wagner force in Mali and the Central African Republic, according to Russian exile media Medusa. Mali, which is battling separatists and Islamist terrorist groups, has relied on the Wagner paramilitary force since late 2021 after both a French counterterrorism mission and UN peacekeepers failed to pacify the country. Mali recently aligned itself with Niger and Burkina Faso; all three countries abandoned the African Union after successful military coups.
Wagner’s operations in Mali, which until recently had been successful, suffered a serious setback in early July when dozens of fighters were killed or captured by radical Tuareg separatists, including, reportedly, commander Anton Delisarov. The fate of the Malian forces now seems completely uncertain.
The family inherited the empire—or at least part of it
It is also difficult to understand what became of Prigozhin’s business empire – even during his lifetime, the ownership structure was obscure due to its complex structure, with straw men and family members often registered as owners or managing directors. The fortune passed into the hands of Prigozhin’s family.
His son Pavel briefly led the Wagner mercenary group but then turned to the safer, more luxurious business sector, according to media reports. Like his sisters Weronika and Polina and his mother Lyubov, Pawel inherited a large number of luxury properties; the family also owns shopping malls, hotels and restaurants.
Flagship active only on paper?
According to research by some Russian exile media, the family may have sold some companies, but according to Novaya Gazeta, there are still about 120 companies that belong to the Prigozhin family to some extent. Shockingly, some former police officers are said to hold management positions in former Prigozhin companies.
It is not clear what happened to the flagship of Prigozhin’s empire. The Concorde Group served as an umbrella for the construction, media and catering companies that Prigozhin began to rise to prominence. Son Pawel is registered as the owner of the group, but it is not clear which companies are still active.
Propaganda slingshot shut down after Wagner uprising
Prigozhin’s Patriot Media Group was dissolved immediately after the Wagner uprising. The company operated ten news websites that were known to reflect the Kremlin’s government line in a one-sided manner. Reporters Without Borders reported that the media license had been extended in the spring and negotiations were underway over who could continue to run the media, and that son Pavel was also expected to be involved.
The three “troll factories” assigned to Prigozhin were closed in the summer of 2023, the most famous of which was the “Internet Research Agency” he claimed to have founded. For years, thousands of employees spread propaganda and false reports on social networks. The “troll factories” also heavily interfered in the 2016 US presidential election, promoting the candidate who later won, Donald Trump, and slandering his opponent Hillary Clinton. Whether these companies operating in the shadows will continue to exist under new ownership is a subject of speculation.
[ad_2]
Source link
