TALLINN, Estonia (AP) – Evgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the controversial Russian Wagner mercenary group, was released from charges on June 24 for his involvement in an armed rebellion. The aftermath of the uprising against military leaders has raised concerns about possible criminal charges and the liability of soldiers who lost their lives in the uprising’s failure.
Instead of immediate legal action, the vague mention of an investigation into possible misuse of billions of dollars in state funds launched a campaign to portray Prigogine as a profiteer. The Kremlin had previously denied any ties to the company, saying private mercenary groups were technically illegal in Russia. But President Vladimir Putin recently admitted that the state paid Wagner nearly $1 billion in a single year, and that Prigozhin’s other company also received the same amount through government contracts. Putin openly questioned the possibility of funds being misappropriated.
The situation surrounding Prigozhin, who remains unpunished despite Putin labeling the rebellion as treason, underscores the growing erosion of the legal system in Russia, as noted by St. Petersburg municipal council member Nikita Yuferev. In a column discussing the mutiny, Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, concluded that “the fabric of the state is disintegrating.”
Following Putin’s indication that the government would investigate financial irregularities involving Prigozhin’s companies, state TV channels seized the opportunity to further scrutinize the matter. Commentator Dmitry Kiselyov revealed that Wagner and another company owned by Prigozhin had earned over 1.7 trillion rubles ($18.7 billion) through government contracts. Russian business daily Vedomosti, citing a source close to the Defense Ministry, confirmed these earnings between 2014 and 2023, a period when Prigozhin and Russian officials had denied any association with Wagner. Mr. Kiselyov speculated that Mr. Prigozhin’s uprising may have been caused by the Pentagon’s refusal to renew a multi-billion-dollar contract with legitimate catering company Concord to feed the military.
One of the key questions raised by the recent revelations is whether Prigozhin intends to relocate to Belarus, Russia’s closest ally, as part of an agreement with the Kremlin to end the uprising. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced that Prigozhin was in Russia, but the Kremlin declined to comment.
On Wednesday, Russian media, including the popular state-owned TV station Russia 1, broadcast footage of a search of Prigozhin’s office in St. Petersburg and a mansion with a helipad and an indoor swimming pool. The video showed vans containing cash, gold, wigs and weapons found on the premises. Russia 1 also claimed that Prigozhin’s adult children had amassed considerable wealth through their father’s efforts. These revelations are aimed at damaging Prigogine’s reputation by portraying him as an oligarchy and contrasting his extravagant lifestyle with an anti-elite image.
According to Ilya Shumanov, Russia director at Transparency International, the focus on Prigozhin’s finances is aimed at proving that he is a corrupt man who allegedly stole money from the state budget. It says. Shumanov emphasized Prigozhin’s brutal attack on the military leadership and emphasized that without the support of the Ministry of Defense there would have been no private military enterprise. Mercenary activities such as funding and training private armies are prohibited by law and the company is in a legal gray zone, so the disclosure of financial details will help explain how the government will fund Wagner.
I doubt it was provided. Putin has consistently denied any connection between the state and Prigozhin’s mercenaries. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in 2020 that “there is no such thing as a private military company under Russian law,” claiming he was unaware of its existence. But Wagner’s hired soldiers were sent to Syria and African countries, reflecting Russia’s growing global influence.
