Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary force, may have died in a plane crash. His mercenaries are already seeking revenge.
Minsk – Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner mercenary group, is believed to have died. While no official confirmation has been issued, his name appeared on the passenger list of the private plane that crashed in Tver, Russia, on Wednesday evening (23 August). The future of his mercenaries who since failed coup attempt stationed in Belarus two months ago remains uncertain. However, early reports suggest they may seek retribution and revenge.
Prigozhin’s men seek vengeance: reports of Wagner activity in Belarus
After the crash of Prigozhin’s plane and speculation about his death, Ukrainian and Eastern European media, including the news portal, published Visegrad 24, a video allegedly showing Wagner mercenaries in Belarus. Three Wagner mercenaries posed for the camera while vehicles – presumably part of a convoy – can be seen in the background. “There’s a lot of talk now about what the Wagner group is going to do,” says one of the fighters, adding, “We’re starting, be ready for us.”
The testimony of the Wagner mercenary in the recording appears to be a clear suggestion of retaliation. The latest information from the National Resistance Center of Ukraine is likely to be related to this. In the evening hours, the resistance center reported on activities in the Wagner camps in Belarus. As a result, the Wagner fighters would want to form up in convoys and head towards the Russian border. “But special forces from Belarus are preventing them from leaving,” the resistance center said. It was further reported that Prigozhin’s men were already evacuating some camps. In addition, several Russian media reported that the Wagner Group had already implemented a “full mobilization” mechanism. This had been prepared beforehand in the event of Prigozhin’s death.
Kremlin could take control of Wagner: “Will be very concerned about it”
However, not everyone is convinced that there will be hostility between the Russian state and the Wagner mercenaries. Ilya Rozhdestvensky, a Russian investigative journalist from the opposition project The Dossier Center, rather believes in close cooperation between Wagner and the Russian Ministry of Defense should Prigozhin actually have died. He explained to Current Time TVthat the ministry in Russia has been trying for a long time to recruit Wagner fighters for its own mercenary structures.
Rozhdestvensky described the supposed death of Prigozhin as a “key moment” in this context. The mercenaries, now without a leader, would have to look for a new “employer,” Rozhdestvensky said: “And in this case, the Ministry of Defense is the most likely candidate.” He believes that even those who were loyal to Prigozhin now want him as “traitors” and turn away from the cause.
Leon Panetta, the former head of the CIA, told the US broadcaster CNN that Moscow could now try to take control of the Wagner mercenaries in Africa, Asia and other locations. “I think they (Russian leadership, ed.) will be very concerned about allowing these people (Wagner-Söldner, ed.) to operate independently,” said the former head of the US – Secret Service. (bb)
This article was created with the help of machines and edited by the editor before publication
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