The “Justice March” to Moscow, launched on the evening of June 23 by PMC founder “Wagner” Yevgeny Prigozhin, lasted less than a day. The following day, Russian authorities called the incident a “mutiny” and a “treason”. Before reaching Moscow about 200 km away, the PMC fighters turned back, Prigozhin announced that the demonstration of intentions had taken place and that he did not want to allow bloodshed. As a result, Prigozhin traveled to Belarus, and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Wagner’s disbandment. What’s going on with PMCs and other assets of Yevgeny Prigozhin – in Russian media material.
Wagner Centers
On June 24, at the height of the “mutiny”, searches were carried out at the PMC Wagner Center on Zolnaya Street in St. Petersburg with the participation of riot police and the National Guard. Rumors of searches at the PMC Wagner Center appeared on the night of June 23, but the press service later denied this information. On the evening of June 24, law enforcement officers seized equipment from the PMC Wagenr Center, reported St. Petersburg edition 78.ru.
“As of Monday (June 27), we have been working as usual in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation,” the Center’s press officer Anna Zamaraeva quoted Paper as saying.
Anatoly Maltsev / EPA / TASS
She thinks that no one will sever ties with Yevgeny Prigozhin and his structures, because there is nothing illegal in this. Residents of the PMC Wagner Center, according to Zamaraeva, did not stop their membership, but rather gathered around him. Nevertheless, the youth club “Vagnerenok” changed its name to “Leader”.
Despite Putin’s statement about the “mutiny”, the recruitment centers of PMC “Wagner” did not work only on June 24. Already on June 25, some of them reopened, Russian media found out by contacting centers in Astrakhan and Voronezh.
Alexander Chizhenok / Kommersant
Said Tikhonov, the founder of one of the St. Petersburg martial arts clubs where Wagner recruits, told Paper that no orders had been received to stop recruiting fighters.
“Nothing serious happened. The organization (PMC “Wagner”) has not been liquidated, not recognized as banned. We have received a lot of calls in the last few days. Everything is still working. And (in regarding rumors about the transition under the control of the Ministry of Defense), I think that Wagner PMC will remain in the old status, ”Tikhonov said.
On Tuesday, June 27, the continuation of admission to PMCs was positively responded to by the general number of Wagner recruitment centers, as well as centers in Irkutsk and St. Petersburg. To enter the PMC, all you need to do is come with a passport and pass a physical fitness test. Those who pass the selection are sent to a base in the Krasnodar Territory at the expense of Wagner PMC. You cannot choose a place of service, for example, to go to Belarus, African or Arab countries. In the center of Irkutsk, when asked about the place of service, they briefly answered: “Northern Military Region, Ukraine.”
media company
Yevgeny Prigozhin headed the board of directors of the Patriot media group until the end of May 2023, then he moved to the post of deputy, and journalist Abbas Juma took his place. The media group includes publications such as RIA FAN, Nevskiye Novosti, Ekonomika Segodnya, Politika Segodnya, PolitExpert, People’s News, Word and Deed, and others.
On June 24, access to the resources of the Patriot media group and the Federal News Agency (RIA FAN), which is part of it, was restricted, and their communities on the VKontakte social network were blocked. The media wrote that searches were carried out in the editorial offices of Primorsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg.
Russian media
“A number of resources are limited in order to prevent the spread of calls for participation in a military mutiny,” Roskomnadzor said in a statement.
RIA FAN editor-in-chief Kristina Masenkova in an interview with Russian media on June 24 said that the editorial staff was working as usual, no one was putting pressure on journalists.
June 26, according to The Moscow Times, RIA FAN website began bypass the Roskomnadzor blockade. A message with a new domain appeared on the RIA FAN telegram channel, on which the materials for the publication will be posted. According to Polygon Media, this alternative site has been registered May 18, 2023, when Yevgeny Prigozhin, against the backdrop of a conflict with the Ministry of Defense, announced the withdrawal of troops from Bakhmut.
At the time of publication, access to Patriot media group sites, with the exception of Nevsky News and the new RIA FAN domain, was still restricted.
caterer
Evgeny Prigozhin’s restaurant “Old Customs” in St. Petersburg continues to operate. On June 24, they told Russian media that the place was open and a table could be reserved. Restaurant Sklad No. 5, which is associated with Prigozhin, also reported on June 28 that it was continuing to work.
The page of the restaurant “Old Customs” in “VKontakte”
In addition, six operating companies are registered in the name of Prigozhin, three of which are different legal entities from the Concord catering company. One of them, Concord Management Consulting, is registered in the Stroganov Palace of the Russian Museum, where the restaurant of the Russian Empire in Prigozhin used to be. Another legal entity, Concord Catering, is subject to US and Ukrainian sanctions.
Prigozhin is the director of several other companies of various specializations. For example, his Retail JSC is engaged in the rental and sale of real estate, and also legally manages the PMC Wagner Center, and Aurum LLC, in which the businessman has a 49% stake, distributes films. Prigozhin also owns 80% of Ritm LLC, which leases and manages property.
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