Ears must have been ringing in the Kremlin. “Putin is Satan,” “a wimp,” who has “a frigging complex related to his small size.” Greetings to the Russian President from an audio recording presented as a phone conversation between two self-proclaimed “loyalists” of Vladimir Putin who publicly supported the “special military operation” in Ukraine.
This 35-minute conversation between influential music producer Iosif Prigojine and billionaire businessman Farkhad Akhmedov, presented as authentic by Ukraine’s Channel 5 TV on Saturday, March 25, continues to make waves in the small world of Russia’s elite.
On Monday, even Evguéni Prigojine, the famous boss of the Wagner mercenary group, insisted on distancing himself from the statements attributed to his namesake, who however has no family ties to him. “Iosif is ruthless and aggressive,” he said. “Several Russian bloggers also commented on this shot on Telegram,” noted Stephen Hall, Russia specialist at the University of Bath (south-west England).
“They broke the country”
Iosif Prigojine, who was the first to call out fake, finally admitted that there had indeed been “a private discussion” with Farkhad Akhmedov, while stating that part of the conversation was the result of editing done to harm him. Independent Russian media outlet Novaya Gazeta, meanwhile, claims that the FSB – Russia’s main intelligence agency – “authenticated the contents of the recording”.
A discussion that is not limited to a list of bird names for Vladimir Putin. “She [l’entourage de Vladimir Poutine, NDLR] screwed up the country,” says Farkhad Akhmedov, who has settled in Baku, Azerbaijan. They treat people like garbage,” replied Iosif Prigoyine, referring to the course of the war in Ukraine.
Exchange of rare violence that would not have happened by the first Russians who came. “Farkhad Akhmedov is a billionaire who made his fortune in the strategic gas sector and sat in the Russian parliament in the late 2000s. He clearly belongs to the economic elite of the country without belonging to the first circle of power,” Stephan Halle summarizes.
Iosif Prigoyine is “a famous record producer who actively campaigned for Vladimir Putin in the 2018 presidential elections,” adds the political scientist.
Part of the elite against “Putin’s personal war”?
If this recording is authentic, Stephen Hall says it “reflects quite well the mood of a section of the Russian elite who are far from impressed with the way the war is taking place”. This is not only an expression of disappointment at an offensive that is not keeping its promises, but above all of the increasingly present feeling “that this is a personal war for Vladimir Putin and a circle of family members that is becoming ever smaller,” Stephen Hall sums up.
As such, this exchange is “not a call for revolt and uprising against Vladimir Putin,” says Yevgeniy Golovchenko, a specialist in Russian propaganda and political discourse at the University of Copenhagen. Farkhad Akhmedov and Iosif Prigojine “mainly complain about the economic cost to them of this war and how best to salvage their fortunes,” adds this specialist.
Very selfish concerns that mean that the publication of this exchange does not pose a direct threat to power, according to the experts interviewed by France 24. Especially since probably only regulars of Telegram know about it. in Russia “since the major TV channels didn’t pick it up, which means that ordinary Russians will probably never find out about the malaise of part of the elite,” Stephen Hall points out.
According to this expert, the only risk facing Vladimir Putin is that “other Russian businessmen, who thought they were the only ones in the country’s business elite who disagreed with the Kremlin’s policies, realize that they are not so isolated.” , notes Stephen Hall.
power shot?
On the other hand, the release of this phone call poses a threat to rich Russians who are tempted to criticize power. “It proves that no one is sure to be heard,” notes Yevgeniy Golovchenko. Farkhad Akhmedov and Iosif Prigoyine have always maintained a public image of impeccable loyalty to the Kremlin, and yet if the record exists, it is because the communications of Vladimir Putin’s “lovers” were “also intercepted by the authorities,” he says Expert from the University of Copenhagen.
It may also be “Russian power itself that leaked this recording,” extrapolates Stephen Hall. The regime wants to make known that it has ears everywhere, including in the privacy of those who consider themselves untouchable, such as Farkhad Akhmedov and Iosif Prigojine.
In this scenario, Iosif Prigojine should be worried (Farkhad Akhmedov takes less risk as he lives in Azerbaijan). After proving that he could hear everything, the ruler should show the fate he reserves for those who are caught red-handed when they so harshly criticize the President and his immediate entourage.
Perhaps that’s why the record producer gave the St. Petersburg news site Fontanka a lengthy interview in which he claims to agree 100 percent with Vladimir Putin. Will this act of repentance allow him to escape the wrath of the Kremlin master?