The man the world is talking about: how Putin’s cook became the leader of a giant mercenary army

The agenda in the world is the uprising, which began with the challenge of the Russian mercenary group Wagner to the Kremlin and which many describe as a “coup attempt”.

Wagner’s leader Yevgeni Prigojin, who played a pivotal role in the invasion of Ukraine and fought on the front lines at major points like Bahmut, has long accused the Russian military of incompetence and corruption, but events since yesterday have changed for complete the course of the crisis. .

Prigokhin’s rapid rise in Russia was also on the agenda. Prigojin, 62, who started his entrepreneurial life modestly selling sandwiches, later became wealthy thanks to deals with the Kremlin from the catering company he founded, and has been known as “Putin’s cook” for many years.

YEARS IN PRISON FOR THEFT OF EARRINGS

Like St. himself Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Prigokhin, who was once close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, lost his father at a young age and trained at the sports academy.

In 1980 St. In St. Petersburg, Prigokhin was released after 10 years in prison, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Prigojin, who started selling hot dogs in his hometown when he was dating, said in an interview that he made the sandwiches in his own house, saying, “We were earning $1,000 a month.”

GROW YOUR BUSINESS RAPIDLY, BECOME ‘PUTIN’S CHEF’

Prigojin soon became a partner in a supermarket chain and soon opened his own restaurant and catering business. The restaurant, which became famous for its food, began to host many high-profile names, including Vladimir Putin, who was the deputy mayor at the time.

Subsequently, Prigojin’s catering business, Concord, began obtaining government supply contracts and expanded its operations on a much larger scale.

LAND REQUIRED FROM THE RUSSIAN ARMY

Wagner’s establishment has been the subject of debate for many years. Prigojin admitted to being the founder of Wagner last September, after long denying the allegations. According to Russian sources, leader Wagner’s request to the Defense Ministry for land for the training of volunteer mercenary fighters sparked controversy inside the Kremlin, while Prigojin said: “The order came from a great place,” referring to Putin.

Prigojin announced that he had sent the bodies of two American and Turkish citizens who lost their lives in Ukraine last month to their countries and shared a photo.

I RECEIVED THE SUPPORT OF PUTIN

Prigojin, who turned Wagner into the world’s largest mercenary force with Putin’s support, is also a name that draws criticism for human rights violations in various wars.

Wagner, which is growing rapidly and incorporating many mercenaries, was founded in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, a part of Ukraine. The Wagner Group has made a name for itself around the world fighting in countries such as Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic and Mali.

Wagner has recently been at the forefront of critical areas such as Bahmut and the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Prigokhin, accusing the Russian army of not supplying them with ammunition, became increasingly harsh in his statements and reacted by shouting at Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu as he published the image of the fighters killed in Ukraine.

Prigojin in the service of former US President George W. Bush and Putin in 2006.

THE CLAIMS OF AN ATTEMPTED COUP HAVE BEEN ON THE AGENDA FOR A LONG TIME

Prigojin claimed a few days ago that Putin was deceived by Sergey Shoigu and the chief of staff Valeriy Gerasimov.

According to many experts, the attempted coup did not come as a big surprise to Russia. The latest uprising followed longstanding rumors of a coup attempt in Russia. Prigojin’s name was always at the top of the news about a possible coup attempt against Putin in Russia as the war in Ukraine raged.