He shored up Russian forces at their most vulnerable and drew Ukraine into a costly fight for Bakhmut, giving Moscow time to build defenses that are slowing Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
Tag: Mercenaries and Private Military Contractors
‘He Has Blood on His Hands’
In a Ukraine village, there are no tears for Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner private militia, whose presumed death in a plane crash was reported this week.
Russia Denies Killing Prigozhin, Calling the Idea Anti-Putin Propaganda
The Kremlin and its proxies rebuffed suggestions that it was responsible for destroying a plane that reportedly carried the chief of the Wagner mercenary group.
Dmitri Utkin, a Leader of the Wagner Mercenaries, Presumed Dead
Mr. Utkin, a prominent commander in the private Russian military company, was a longtime lieutenant to Yevgeny V. Prigozhin. He is believed dead at 53 in a plane crash.
Presumed Death of Wagner Leader Puts In Doubt Group’s Future in Africa
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner paramilitary group, had visited the Central African Republic in the days before his jet crashed, a top adviser to the country’s president said.
With Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Death, Putin Projects a Message of Power
The Kremlin appears to be sending the signal that no degree of effectiveness can protect someone from punishment for disloyalty.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, Renegade Mercenary Chief Who Rattled Kremlin
A tycoon and a Putin ally, he built a paramilitary force that fought by Russia’s side even as he castigated its military leaders. He died at 62 in a plane crash, Russian authorities said.
Prigozhin Broke the First Rule in Russia: Don’t Defy Putin
The fate of Yevgeny V. Prigozhin is a reminder of all those who have paid a heavy price for standing up to President Vladimir V. Putin, and of how quickly people can fall from his favor.
U.S. Says It Will Take Time to Confirm Prigozhin Was Killed in Plane Crash
The Wagner Group has not confirmed its leader’s death, nor has the Russian government.
Explosion Likely Downed Plane Carrying Prigozhin, U.S. Officials Say
The officials stressed that other theories about what brought down a plane in Russia were still being explored.