A close ally could ruthlessly exploit Putin’s weakness and seize power himself.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is under increasing pressure. Militarily, things are still not going according to plan and partial mobilization is now sparking protests in Russia as well. Hundreds of people were arrested on Wednesday evening – the same day Putin decided on partial mobilization and threatened the world with nuclear weapons – during anti-war and anti-Putin demonstrations. In Moscow, protesters chanted “Russia without Putin!”.
Now Putin could also face competition within his own ranks. Several experts have speculated that it was Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close confidant of the Kremlin, who should have taken power. The head of the infamous “Wagner” mercenary group could exploit the Russian president’s weakness and position himself.
“Prigozhin smells like blood”
Like Putin, the 62-year-old hails from St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad) and often entertained the Kremlin boss, who once worked in the St. Petersburg city administration, in his restaurant, which is why he is nicknamed “Putin’s cook”. . While Prigozhin usually acts in the background, the hardliner has now appeared in two videos as a human military leader. “Prigozhin continues to post videos of himself in the role of supreme commander,” intelligence expert Hristo Grozev wrote on Twitter. “Wagner’s troops would vote for him in Putin’s place at any time and it seems to me that he stinks of blood.”
Anders Östlund of the CEPA think tank could escalate the conflict in the event of a Russian situation. Prigozhin has the Wagner Group and Putin has the National Guard. “After Russia’s defeat in Ukraine, it could be an interesting match,” Östlund said.
The United States has issued an arrest warrant for Yevgeny Prigozhin. In July of this year, the US State Department offered a $ 10 million reward for information on Prigozhin.
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