Yevgeny Prigozhin first became known as "Putin's chief". Because he was providing food and drinks to the Kremlin at special events. But it turned out later that...
Coming from Russia's second largest city, St. Petersburg, this businessman is said to have known Putin since the 1990s, when he dined at his restaurant.
Until the 2010s, the name Prigozhin was referred to in some newspaper searches for the "troll factory", the disinformation unit in St. Petersburg working to denigrate the Russian opposition online and show the Kremlin's positive side.
Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin (born 1 June 1961) is a Russian oligarch and close confidant of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin was called "Putin's chef" because his restaurants and catering businesses hosted dinners which Putin attended with foreign dignitaries.
In 2016, according to a study by the US Special Adviser Robert Mueller, the trawler factory was part of Russia's attempt to interfere in the US presidential election.
He also admitted, too late, that he was behind Wagner, whom he had denied ties to for years.
Wagner first appeared in eastern Ukraine in 2014, after which his troops were also seen in Syria and many African countries. It is now one of Russia's most effective troops in the Ukraine war.
But it is certain that he too has high-level privileges. For example, he had toured Russia's prisons, listing prisoners to fight in Ukraine. This permission is not given to everyone.
Yevgeny Prigozhin is one of Putin's allies, who is currently criticizing Russia's performance in the Ukraine war.
Monday 26 September 2022
Explained how he founded Wagner
Prigozhin said in a statement that he founded the group in 2014 to send fighters to the Donbas region of Ukraine.
Prigozhin admitted that he formed the Wagner mercenary group to fight in Ukraine in 2014 and that they were deployed to countries in Latin America and Africa.
In a statement on his company Concorde's social media account, Prigozhin emphasized that he founded the group in 2014 to send fighters to the Donbas region of Ukraine, and said, "From that moment, on May 1, 2014, a group of patriots was born, who took the name, BTG Wagner."
Prigozhin, who was called "Putin's chef" because of the catering contracts of the Concord company, which provides catering services, with the Kremlin, has previously denied any connection with Wagner.
The Russian businessman continued his statement in his post as follows:
"I cleaned old weapons myself, found bulletproof vests, and found experts who can help me with this. These men, heroes, who defended the people of Syria, the peoples of other Arab countries, poor Africans, and Latin Americans, became the pillar of our homeland."
This paramilitary group is suspected of conducting secret Kremlin missions for years, with various operations that Moscow has always denied. Some Western countries accuse Yevgeny Prigozhin of being the financier of the Wagner group, which is known to be in Syria, Libya, Ukraine, and even the Central African Republic.
Who is the Wagner Group?
The name of Wagner Group, one of the Russia-based private security companies, began to be heard in the conflicts during the anti-Kyiv uprising in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
It was stated that professional fighters were involved in clashes with pro-Moscow rebels in eastern Ukraine.
Sources closely following Wagner claimed that fighters affiliated with the group carried out covert operations in Ukraine and Syria on behalf of the Kremlin.
On the other hand, the Russian authorities flatly deny the accusations that Wagner members took orders from Moscow and acted in this direction.
Not just Wagner
The Russian Federal News Agency is subordinate to the Internet Research Agency. The agency in question is a Russian propaganda site for psychological operations. The center of the site is in St. Petersburg, its owner is Yevgeny Prigozhin.
NAME IN THE TRUMP INVESTIGATION
“US Special Attorney Robert Mueller has included the Russian Troll Factory and its owner Prigozhin in the investigation for interfering in the 2016 presidential election.”
Specially authorized prosecutor Mueller is investigating possible Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, which fell like a bombshell on the US agenda. In the investigation, which started with the allegation that Russia interfered in the US presidential elections through a cyber attack, an indictment was drawn up against 13 Russian nationals. Prigozhin and his companies are accused of influencing the election by using fake social media postings, advertisements, and social media accounts, making fake news for misleading purposes, and using fake expert opinions. It was determined that 170,000 tweets were sent from thousands of fake accounts affiliated with the agency before the US elections. We can call it a troll army.
FROM SAUSAGE TO TROLLEY ARMY
Here is the name at the center of the accusations Yevgeny Prigozhin and his connection with Putin should also be looked at. Prigozhin, who started his career with a hot dog stand and built a catering company empire, is also called "Putin's chef". He also owns an internet agency and a news agency.
ATTENTION TO FAKE NEWS
What I mean is that states naturally go beyond directing the media, and with the news sites they have established with their own hands, they can make "fake news", in Trump's words, in line with their aims. Some news should not be skipped.
05 MAY 2022
Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin spoke to the British Guardian newspaper.
"YOU ARE ENDLESS PERSONS, THE VICTORY WILL BE OURS"
Describing the Western world as "pitiful endangered perverts", Prigozhin claimed that Russia would surely triumph in Ukraine:
"You are a near-dying Western civilization that thinks Russians, Malians, Central Africans, Cubans, Nicaraguans, and other peoples are disgusting Third World people. You are a pathetic endangered group of perverts. We are many, billions. Victory will be ours."