Wagner Group’s Prigozhin Back in Russia From Shortest Exile in History? The head of the Wagner Group Yevgeny Prigozhin has reportedly returned to Russia, just two weeks after he led a failed mutiny. On Thursday morning, in a rare interview with the press, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said that the mercenary chief was now in the Russian city of St. Petersburg.
Back in the (Former) USSR?
If the reports are true, Prigozhin may have set the record for the shortest exile, following what was one of the shortest mutinies as well.
The news reports couldn’t be confirmed he was back in Russia – and it certainly wasn’t a grand return like the deposed Emperor Napoleon from Elba.
Lukashenko simply stated that Prigozhin was not in Belarus, and it now raises serious questions about the “deal” that was struck between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Wagner Group leader after the latter’s failed rebellion.
“In terms of Yevgeny Prigozhin, he is in St. Petersburg. Or maybe this morning he would travel to Moscow or elsewhere,” Lukashenko said in response to a question from CNN during a press conference in Minsk. “But he is not on the territory of Belarus now.”
Raid on Prigozhin’s Mansion Turns Up Oddities
The reports that Prigozhin returned or crept back into Russia were followed by news that Putin’s security forces conducted a raid on the Wagner chief’s lavish mansion.
Russian state TV aired footage of the residence following the raid, which uncovered a cache of weapons and ammunition, along with a wardrobe full of wigs, gold bars, stacks of cash including U.S. dollars, numbers passports with different aliases, and even a stuffed alligator. There were also photos of the severed heads of the Prigozhin’s enemies.
In other words, the sort of items one might expect a former caterer turned de facto warlord would possess. It could also explain why the mercenary chief may have wanted to return to Russia to retrieve his items, notably the cold hard currency and the passports that he may need if he has to go on the run – but who wouldn’t return for their stuffed alligator and other twisted mementos?
Scandalous?
Russian TV presenters described the finds as “scandalous.”
It was a notable turn of events, as until recently Russian state media has practically lionized the Wagner Group and its leader. However, as CNN reported, the Russian outlets now appear to be vilifying the founder of the private military contractor unit following its failed mutiny, while CNN further noted that Russian authorities have a pattern of fabricating criminal cases against the Kremlin’s political challengers.
In this case, the cache of oddities is likely the real deal. There was no word on whether a copy of the Forder Travel Guide for The Best Places to Go Into Exile was found among the other items. That’s certainly a book that any critic of Putin should keep on the bookshelf.
Author Experience and Expertise:
A Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu.
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