Prigozhin is either dead or in prison: Former US General
13 Jul 2023 14:50:56
Moscow, Jul 13: Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is either dead or in jail after a failed rebellion against Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a former US military official.
The statement comes after Russia claimed President Vladimir Putin met the mercenary group chief five days after the rebellion. Former US General Robert Abrams told ABC News that the meeting too was probably staged. “My personal assessment is that I doubt we’ll see Prigozhin ever again publicly. I think he’ll either be put in hiding, or sent to prison, or dealt with some other way, but I doubt we’ll ever see him again,” Abrams was quoted as saying. Asked if he thought Prigozhin was still alive, General Abrams said, “I personally don’t think he is, and if he is, he’s in a prison somewhere.”
Earlier this week, Russia said Prigozhin and his men met Vladimir Putin and pledged loyalty to the government five days after the armed mutiny. The three-hour meeting took place June 29 and involved not only Prigozhin but commanders from his Wagner Group military contractor, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Vladimir Putin gave an assessment of Wagner’s actions on the battlefield in Ukraine — where the mercenaries have fought alongside Russian troops — and of the revolt itself, he said. “The commanders themselves presented their version of what happened. They underscored that they are staunch supporters and soldiers of the head of state and the commander-in-chief, and also said that they are ready to continue to fight for their homeland,” Peskov said.
The confirmation that Putin met face-to-face with Prigozhin, who led troops on a march to Moscow last month to demand a military leadership change, was extraordinary. Though the Russian leader branded Prigozhin a traitor as the revolt unfolded and vowed harsh punishment, the criminal case against the mercenary chief on rebellion charges was later dropped.