Meet Wagner chief Prigozhin, who presented serious challenge to Putin’s authority before calling off rebellion

Russian authorities have accused Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the powerful Wagner Group, of “fomenting an armed rebellion” as the growing animosity between rival Kremlin camps spilled into open conflict in the early hours of Saturday.

The long-running feud between Prigozhin and the Russian military reached a tipping point on Friday when the 62-year-old mercenary leader unleashed a tirade against the Russian Defense Ministry on social media and vowed to retaliate against its leaders.

In a series of voice recordings posted to the social media platform Telegram, Prigozhin accused the Russian military of launching a deadly missile strike on his Wagner mercenary forces. He did not provide any evidence to support his claims.

He said, “The evil borne by the country’s military leadership must be stopped. Those who killed our lads, and tens of thousands of lives of Russian soldiers in the war in Ukraine will be punished. I ask you not to resist. Anyone who does will be considered a threat and destroyed. Presidential power, the government, the police and Russian guard will work as usual. This is not a military coup, but a march of justice. Our actions do not interfere with the troops in any way."

Russia’s domestic intelligence service, the FSB, has opened a criminal investigation against Prigozhin and urged the Wagner mercenaries to detain their boss.

Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin?

Yevgeny Prigozhin is known as an outspoken mercenary tycoon in Russia. He became rich and influential through his personal ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prigozhin became a wealthy oligarch by securing lucrative catering contracts with the Kremlin, which earned him the moniker of “Putin’s chef”.

Prigozhin then emerged as a powerful warlord after his private military company was linked to the Russia-backed separatist movements in Ukraine’s Donbas region in 2014.

Role of the Wagner Group in Ukraine conflict

Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group has been fighting on behalf of Russia against Ukrainian forces in in key areas of the war. Prigozhin has even recruited thousands of convicted criminals from jail to aid his war effort.

The Wagner mercenaries claimed to have capture the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in May, marking a personal victory for Prigozhin.  Though Ukraine countered the claims. Prigozhin then targeted Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with US president Joe Biden. “Today when you see Biden, kiss him on the top of his head, say hi to him from me,” Prigozhin mocked Zelensky.

The feud between Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russian military

Yevgeny Prigozhin has been very critical of the top brass of the Russian Defence Ministry. He has repeatedly launched vocal criticisms of Russia's military leadership over how the Ukraine war has been fought. Besides, Prigozhin has claimed that Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu starved the Wagner Group of ammunition.

Challenge to President Vladimir Putin

The dramatic escalation of infighting between Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenary group and the Russian military presents the biggest challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s authority since he launched his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The infighting may even affect the Russian war efforts in Ukraine.