Vladimir Putin begins taking over Prigozhin’s empire

For the Kremlin, Yevgeny Prigozhin was more than just a mercenary leader. As the head of a huge conglomerate of companies, his influence was significantly greater. The billionaire has long been considered a close associate of Kremlin President Vladimir Putin.

After the failed coup attempt more than a week ago, the Kremlin is now working to crack the opaque company’s network.

The task is not easy. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Wagner Group alone controls more than 100 companies. Some of them are now boycotted, others are taken over.

The business empire is active in a wide range of areas: finance, construction, supply and logistics, mining and natural resources, and equestrian sports.

Vladimir Putin struck perhaps the most visible blow to Prigozhin’s business at Wagner’s headquarters in Saint Petersburg. Wagner emblems on the exterior walls of the glass tower were demolished, and the offices were searched by the local secret service, the FSB.

Investigators also visited Patriot Media Group and shut down the businesses. In addition to pro-government media, Patriot also owns the Internet Research Agency. And behind it is the troll factory, which, among other things, influenced the US presidential elections in 2016 in favor of Trump.

According to research by The Wall Street Journal, the media group could be turned over to the National Media Group. Her chair is Alina Kabaeva, a high school student who is rumored to be the mother of at least three of Putin’s children. She lived in Ticino for a long time.

It is not clear who will send Russian forces into Ukraine in the future. So military bloggers assume that the already difficult supply situation at the front will only get worse. But there are also consequences in Russia: Thousands of employees from Prigozhin’s empire have been dismissed without warning.