The Rise of Yevgeny Prigozhin: The Former Convict and Catering Magnate Running Russia’s Mercenary Army
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the shaven-headed former convict and catering magnate who runs Russia’s Wagner mercenary army on the Ukraine frontline, has become one of the most powerful figures in the country. His rise to power has been meteoric, and his influence on the political and military elite is undeniable.
Prigozhin, 61, was sent to prison for nine years for theft and street muggings in the 1980s. After his release, he built a catering empire. Then, in 2014, he entered the political arena, becoming a key backer of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He provided financial support for the president’s reelection campaign, and was rewarded with a series of lucrative state contracts.
Prigozhin’s influence became more evident in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2016. He began to provide financial backing for the Wagner mercenary army, which has been instrumental in the offensive against Ukraine. Prigozhin’s fighters, whom he touts as among the best, are spearheading the offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Prigozhin’s increasing power and influence have not gone unnoticed. Recently, he has come into conflict with some of Russia’s political and military elite, who have expressed displeasure with his outspokenness and have urged him to stay out of politics. Prigozhin has responded by threatening those who have criticized him. In response to criticism from the governor of Sverdlovsk, he said that in the 1941-45 war, Stalin simply shot people like him.
The influence of Prigozhin and other figures in Russia with their own private armies, like Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, has raised concerns that they could one day go rogue. However, sources close to the Russian authorities have said that the Kremlin maintains unspecified safeguards over leaders of armed groups.
It is clear that Yevgeny Prigozhin is a powerful and influential figure in Russia, and his rise to power shows no signs of slowing down. Whether the Kremlin can continue to manage him and his private army remains to be seen.
