Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin resurfaced in St. Petersburg today, after keeping a low profile for weeks in the aftermath of the aborted uprising he led.
After last month’s march on Moscow, which saw troops from the Wagner mercenary group swiftly seize control of a key military command center in Russsia’s southeast, Prigozhin’s continued absence fueled speculation about where he would reappear — if at all. But pictures published today from a Russian summit for African leaders show that Prigozhin remains in Russia, unharmed after his revolt dealt a significant embarrassment to the Kremlin leadership.
The first picture from Prigozhin’s meetings today featured the warlord standing with Freddy Mapouka, the Central African Republic’s chief of protocol. It was posted to Facebook by Dmitry Syty, Wagner’s CAR hand, according to the Financial Times. The mercenary army has had a strong presence in that country, where it has been accused of carrying out severe human-rights abuses against civilians through its work for the government. The FT also pointed to other reports indicating that Prigozhin met with officials from Mali and Niger.
Yevgeny Prigozhin has been photographed with a member of the Central African Republic's delegation at the Russia-Africa Summit.
Prigozhin is apparently in St. Petersburg despite agreeing to go into exile in Belarus following his aborted mutiny against Russia's military… pic.twitter.com/zySBNExF3p
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) July 27, 2023
Prigozhin led his troops in an open revolt late last month, accusing Russia’s military establishment of pushing a failed war on the country while also claiming that he did not want to depose Putin.
Although Wagner forces made rapid gains and were met with minimal opposition, the march quickly fizzled out. The Kremlin said that Prigozhin held talks with Putin, coming to an agreement, and Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko claimed that Wagner forces who did not want to disarm would relocate to Belarus.
Soon after the end of the revolt, reports said that camps capable of hosting thousands of troops were being constructed in Belarus. Prigozhin, however, seems to continue to play a prominent role in Russia.