Prigozhin Hit
A plane was shot down over Russia tonight, northwest of Moscow, that contained the head of the Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin, who exactly 2 months ago led a coup challenging, in effect President Putin’s inner circle.
Video seemed to show one wing of the aircraft was missing, and the fuselage on fire as the plane plunged to the ground, sealing the fates of Prigozhin and a co founder of Wagner, Dmitry Utkin and 8 others onboard.
The ‘Grey Zone’ Telegram channel which is loyal to Wagner, said the plane was clearly shot down by “:enemies of Russia”.
The Kremlin has ordered an investigation of course, and will never admit the shoot down, so expect some kind of statement in a few days suggesting pilot error or mechanical issues, or something just as ridiculous.
Putin’s finger prints are all over the shoot down, because every day Prigozhin has walked free since challenging the Kremlin, was a humiliation for the Russian President.
It seems like something out of the Movie Godfather when Michael Corleone pulls a hand gun in an Italian restaurant, gunning down the head of a rival family and his police Captain Lt. It was an unexpected moment of revenge and a criminal settling of accounts.
The Kremlin is nothing short of a criminal regime, operated by Putin who acts as a go between for different clans, delivering a piece of cake to all to keep the piece, while slicing off a bit of icing for himself.
But this time Putin may have gone a bit too far in settling a score with Prigozhin.
Why did the mercenary leader, who knows much about Kremlin finances and where the dirty laundry is hidden, believe he was protected after challenging Putin’s authority a few months ago?
The timing of Prigozhin’s death also coincides with the removal of his ally General Sergei Surovikin, form command of the Aerospace forces and reports he is in prison.
Putin will for the moment look strong, but Prigozhin who operated in Ukraine and Africa, must have had the blessings and support from Russian intelligence agencies, even as he challenged the Defense Minister Shoigu for leading a bumbling shambles of a military invasion of Ukraine.
Prigozhin represented one of the clans that had to have serious muscle inside the Kremlin to have been funded by a billion dollars last year, by Putin’s own admission.
Backed by Russian security services Wagner ran free in Africa looting and carrying a campaign of terror to boost dictators, in exchange for looting vast wealth, like gold mines etc.
Wagner was a formidable force in Ukraine and Syria carrying out operations for Russia on the front lines of war.
Putin may have dealt a delayed dish of revenge against Prigozhin by shooting down his plane over Russia, but who else was supporting the Wagner organization and it’s boss is unclear. There a large elements even within the Russian army loyal to Wagner.
And very soon just like that hit in the Godfather, we will hear if this was the end of the Prigozhin chapter, or the beginning of a new a violent period inside Putin’s Russia.
Dana Lewis