russian elite Yevgeny Prigozhin waging its own war in eastern Ukraine, an often crude and increasingly vocal presence in Moscow faltering military campaign,
he’s pitching himself and his wagner mercenary group as genuine patriots, in contrast to what he ridicules as a corrupt and inefficient military hierarchy. The language is getting harsher, and the stakes are getting higher.
Over the past few weeks, Prigozhin has been seen close to the front line in the occupied eastern region of Donetsk, delivering oranges to soldiers or critically reviewing body bags, and sometimes engaging in foul language with his fighters has gone.
on saturday he posted a video claiming that he had visited his troops in the brutally fought city solderpraising his armies for what he claimed were the best fighting forces in the world.
He rarely misses an opportunity to take a dig at the establishment. Somewhere in Donetsk earlier this month, Prigozhin told his fighters: “Once we have conquered our internal bureaucracy and corruption, we will conquer the Ukrainians and NATO.”
For Prigozhin, the main bureaucrat he has in mind is Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The two seem to have drifted apart because of lucrative military contracts given to and then taken from Prigozhin’s Concorde Group, as well as Wagner’s controversial role in Syria.
Conflict over credit in Soledar: Prigozhin said on Friday that it was “in particular” his troops who have made perceived gains around Soledar in recent days.
In a filmed exchange with his fighters, Prigozhin asked provocatively: “Besides Wagner PMC, who else is here?”
“No one else!” He replied.
The Ukrainian military continues to deny that Soledar has fallen and even Prigozhin has acknowledged that fighting continues there.
regardless, the ambition of the mercenary leader nobody noticed in Washington, DC.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense Laura Cooper told a briefing on Friday: “In recent days, we have seen Wagner move more quickly than any other unit in the Russian military.”
Read more analysis on Prigozhin’s role in the war Here,