Wagner rebel Yevgeny Prigozhin is either dead or in one of Putin’s gulags after Putin’s failed coup, a former US general has claimed.
Retired General Robert Abrams, who served as commander of US forces in Korea, said that Prigozhin is most likely dead and likely never to be seen in public again.
He told ABC News, “I think he’s either going into hiding or being sent to jail or being treated in some other way, but I doubt we’ll ever see him again.”
When asked if he thought Prigozhin was alive, Abrams replied, “Personally, I don’t think he is, and if he is, he’s in prison somewhere.”
Once one of Putin’s confidants, Prigozhin had grown into a potent threat, culminating in the attempted mutiny.
The alleged meeting between Putin and Prigozhin afterwards was “heavily staged,” Abrams said, adding, “I would be surprised if we actually saw evidence that Putin met Prigozhin.”
According to a former US general, Wagner rebel Yevgeny Prigozhin is either dead or in one of Putin’s gulags
Retired General Robert Abrams (pictured), who served as commander of US forces in Korea, said Prigozhin is most likely dead and will undoubtedly never be seen in public again
The alleged meeting between Putin (pictured) and Prigozhin afterwards was “heavily staged,” Abrams suggested, adding, “I would be surprised if we actually saw evidence that Putin met Prigozhin.”
After last month’s failed coup, Prigozhin reportedly left Russia to live in exile in Belarus. However, he has not been seen since then.
The leader’s mutiny, which began on June 23, was explained as a “march for justice” aimed at removing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov from their posts.
Prigozhin clashed with the national armed forces of Russia throughout the war, while sending his private mercenaries to the front lines to die.
The push made rapid progress, capturing Rostov and penetrating into Russian territories.
Six Russian army helicopters and one plane were reportedly shot down in the clashes.
However, the mutiny did not achieve its goals, as Prigozhin negotiated peace through Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko before reaching Moscow.
All charges against the Wagner group leader were eventually dropped to allow him to move to Belarus.
The attempted coup began on June 23 and was called off a day later when the Wagner soldiers were on their way to Moscow (pictured: Wagner men in Rostov-on-Don on June 24).
Members of the Wagner Group military company guard an area in front of a tank on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Saturday, June 24
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of military company Wagner Group, looked out of a military vehicle on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24, 2023 while he was reportedly en route to Belarus
Two weeks ago, Putin is said to have held a secret meeting with Prigozhin.
The unannounced meeting took place on June 29 — less than a week after the Wagner uprising — and was attended by about 35 people, including senior Kremlin leaders and several Prigozhin commanders, the Kremlin admitted.
French publication Libération had previously quoted intelligence sources as claiming the meeting took place, but gave the date as July 1.
Since the meeting, Prigozhin appears to be remaining in Russia and not being forced into exile in neighboring Belarus, as his fate previously seemed to be.
This comes after it was revealed yesterday that Prigozhin was being treated for stomach cancer and his illness may have played a role in his decision to launch the mutiny attempt, a report said.
Fighters from the private mercenary group Wagner, including Roman Yamalutdinov (left), retreat from the Southern Military District headquarters to return to the base in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, June 24, 2023
Proekt, a Russian affiliate now banned by Russia, initially cited claims by former Prigozhin employees that he had undergone cancer treatment.
They said his stomach cancer is now in remission after undergoing “serious therapy” for “a long time”.
A former worker said the march towards Moscow late last month could show the mindset of a man with little to lose.
When asked what might have sparked the armed uprising, an anonymous source replied, “It’s a man with his stomach and entrails cut out!”
A former employee said: “[Prigozhin] had cancer. Now the process of tumor formation seems to have stopped.”