Wagner’s boss Prigozhin ‘had been treated for stomach cancer and felt he had nothing to lose when he decided to launch a mutiny’
- The leader of the Wagner Group turned his forces against the Russian army on June 23.
Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin’s battle with cancer may have played a role in his decision to launch an apparent mutiny against Moscow, according to a report.
Proekt, a Russian outlet now banned by Russia, originally cited claims by former Prigozhin employees that he had undergone cancer treatment.
They said his stomach cancer was now in remission after a “long time” undergoing “serious therapy”.
A former worker said the march on Moscow late last month could show the mindset of a man who has little to lose.
When asked what could have sparked the armed rebellion, an anonymous source said: ‘This is a man with his stomach and intestines cut open!’
In several public videos, Prigozhin expressed his dissatisfaction with the operations of the Russian army.
Fighters from Wagner’s private mercenary group, including Roman Yamalutdinov (left), leave the headquarters of the Southern Military District to return to the base, in the city of Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on June 24, 2023.
a former employee saying:'[Prigozhin] had cancer. It now appears that the process of tumor formation has stopped.
They recalled that the PMC leader followed a strict diet and only drank a glass of lemonade.
They denied ever seeing him taking drugs, despite a “white powder” being found during a raid on his home.
“Since he first got sick and then recovered, he has banned everyone from communicating with drug dealers in Africa or Syria.
They will put you in a hole.
Other former employees recalled how Prigozhin ‘beat’ his workers.
The leader’s mutiny, which began on June 23, was declared a “march for justice” aimed at removing Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of Staff Valery Gerasimov from their posts.
Prigozhin has clashed with Russia’s national armed forces during the war, while sending his private mercenaries to the front lines to die.
The momentum advanced rapidly, seizing Rostov and crossing into the Russian regions.
Six Russian army helicopters and one plane were reportedly shot down in the clashes.
But the mutiny failed to achieve its goals, as Prigozhin negotiated peace through Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko before arriving in Moscow.
Eventually, all charges against the leader of the Wagner Group were dropped to allow him to move to Belarus.
Vladimir Putin (left) is pictured with Yevgeny Prigozhin (right), once nicknamed ‘Putin’s Chef’ as his caterers provided services for the Kremlin.
Ukrainian firefighters continue to work to recover the remaining bodies from under rubble at Ria Pizza restaurant after a missile attack in Kramatorsk city center as the Ukrainian counter-offensive continues in Donetsk region, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine , June 28, 2023
Earlier this week it was reported that Vladimir Putin had been holding secret talks in the Kremlin with Prigozhin since the riot.
An unannounced session was held on June 29 and was attended by 35 people, including senior Kremlin officials and several of Prigozhin’s commanders, the Kremlin admitted.
French publication Libération had previously quoted secret service sources as saying the meeting had taken place, but gave the date as July 1.
Details of the meeting are unknown. But the only thing we can say, the President gave his evaluation of the company [Wagner] actions during the Special Military Operation, and also his assessment of his actions during June 24,’ the report says.
