Prigozhin's Death... Signal of Putin's Top Priority to Maintain Power

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner Group, died in a plane crash. Some suspect that the Kremlin was involved in Prigozhin's death.

On the 25th (local time), the American daily The New York Times (NYT) reported that Prigozhin's death was a signal from the Kremlin that despite his effectiveness, he could not escape the charge of 'disloyalty.'

The scene of Prigozhin and President Putin together in 2010.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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NYT noted that around the time news of Prigozhin's death was being reported on the 23rd, President Putin appeared at a televised event commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk during World War II.

President Putin gave a speech on a stage with a black background and red lighting, creating a grand atmosphere, then awarded medals to soldiers. He then led a moment of silence honoring the war dead, during which news broke that Prigozhin's private plane was engulfed in flames and plummeted to the ground.

Although the stark contrast between the two scenes could be coincidental, NYT interpreted Putin's appearance at the World War II commemoration as a display of his grip and power more resolutely than ever, one and a half years after the start of the Ukraine war.

Mikhail Vinogradov, a political analyst in Moscow, pointed out that no figure at the core of Russia's ruling elite has ever died from a 'state-supported assassination,' warning that this would set a harsh precedent.

Meanwhile, Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, during a phone briefing with reporters on the same day, called Western speculation that the Kremlin was behind the incident "complete lies," fully denying assassination allegations against the Kremlin.

On the other hand, Vinogradov noted that the Kremlin does not seem to be making much effort to dispel public suspicion that it approved Prigozhin's killing.

NYT explained that if a powerful figure in Russia's ruling elite was killed against the Kremlin's will, it could also signal a loss of control by President Putin.

Furthermore, from the perspective of internal power dynamics within Russia's ruling elite, it is more important that Prigozhin met a gruesome death after Putin accused him of 'betrayal' than whether Putin actually ordered the killing.

Some are more surprised that after Prigozhin's armed rebellion in June was aborted, he was allowed to go to Belarus for two months and remained influential enough to meet African officials on the sidelines of a Russia-Africa summit hosted by President Putin.

Alexei Venediktov, who led the now-closed independent media outlet Echo of Moscow, said, "Putin's 'forgiveness' of Prigozhin was perceived as a sign of weakness by those around him," adding, "Now Putin has shown his ruling elite that any attempt at betrayal will be exposed."

Russian prominent journalist Konstantin Remchukov commented on the reaction of Russia's elite to the incident, saying, "Everyone is afraid," and "Everyone believes 'anything is possible.'"

Remchukov added, "Putin called him a traitor," emphasizing, "That alone was enough for everyone to know that this person (Prigozhin) was no longer safe."

President Putin is delivering a speech at the World War II Battle of Kursk commemoration ceremony on the 23rd (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

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With Prigozhin's death, the future of the Wagner Group has become uncertain. Since key figures including co-founder Dmitry Utkin died alongside Prigozhin in the crashed plane, it is expected to be difficult for the group to maintain its previous form.

The Wagner Group is known to have secured interests such as gold and diamond mines and logging rights in some African countries like Mali and the Central African Republic in exchange for supporting regime stability.

The British daily The Telegraph analyzed that Prigozhin's removal could benefit the Kremlin by eliminating an overly powerful figure, allowing President Putin to secure greater loyalty from African governments.

It also warned that if the Wagner Group, now leaderless, comes under direct Kremlin control, it could become more dangerous, potentially enabling Russia to extend its war capabilities against the West.

Political commentator Abbas Gallyamov, a former speechwriter for Putin, emphasized to NYT that the Kremlin is the most likely force behind Prigozhin's death. He said, "To send a certain signal, Putin decided to take risks in many projects," stressing, "It is important to understand that Putin's current priority is not expansion but maintaining power."

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