The current hysterical actions and statements of Prigozhin are a consequence of his attempt to save himself from the anger of the Kremlin’s top leadership.
“The public activity of Prigozhin is associated with the fact that at some point he realized that his privileged position as Putin’s favorite ‘grandson’ was shaken,” said Lev Kadik, a journalist specializing in foreign affairs at the Latvian portal Delfi.lv and former political editor of the Russian newspaper Kommersant.
Read also: Biden claims Russians suffered over 100,000 troop losses in Bakhmut
Experts surveyed by NV are convinced that the only function the Wagner Group leader served during the large-scale invasion was to issue calls and mobilize prisoners, followed by their deployment on the front lines.
Now, Prigozhin’s services have become unnecessary, as the Russian army has learned since last August to independently carry out the same tasks since last autumn, said Kadik.
The Wagner Group chief was also unable to capture Bakhmut after months of fighting, despite receiving Putin’s approval to recruit criminals strictly for the purpose. So, Prigozhin’s recent statements about withdrawing his group from Bakhmut and his extensive interview on the topic of how “we can f**k up Russia thanks to the Kremlin elite” are nothing more than an attempt at self-defense.
Prigozhin is a product of the Putin system, but now his position as “Putin’s chef” has weakened within it, as he is no longer fighting against Ukraine but for his own skin, Maxim Reznik, former member of the legislative assembly of St. Petersburg, told NV.
“You see, Prigozhin is a patriot of his own hide,” said Reznik.
Read also: Russian leaders won’t let Prigozhin withdraw his forces from Bakhmut, Ukrainian military says
Figures similar to Prigozhin have already emerged in the history of Putin’s Russia, said Fyodor Krascheninnikov, a Russian political scientist living in Lithuania, in an interview with NV.
For example, after the annexation of Crimea, the “popular mayor” of Sevastopol Alexei Chaly and former prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya received their share of popularity from the Kremlin, but their influence quickly waned without Putin’s support.
As an example, Chaly uses Ramzan Kadyrov, the “leader” of Chechnya. He was previously one of Prigozhin’s main public allies, supporting the Wagner Group in its conflict with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. However, once the Wagner Group leader began his own game and crossed a certain line in his criticism, Kadyrov’s support dissolved.
Krascheninnikov explained that within the Putin system of power, alliances or coalitions are impossible as they are shattered from above.
It is most likely that Prigozhin will be removed, not physically destroyed, but sent into a kind of exile, such as Africa, where the Wagner Group has several ongoing “missions,” concluded the journalist from Delfi.lv.
“Prigozhin will go to Sudan, and what will happen to him there is anyone’s guess. In any case, he will be removed from the stage where everyone dances, sings, and shouts.”
Read also: Ukrainian intelligence explains conflict between Prigozhin and Shoigu
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