Picture of Wager boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in underwear leaked
An unflattering photo of Yevgeny Prigozhin in his underwear was leaked online Friday amid an apparent campaign by Vladimir Putin’s regime to smear the Wagner boss following his mercenary group’s failed mutiny.
The image, which emerged in Russian language chat rooms on the Telegram messaging app, shows a meek-looking Prigozhin waving at the camera while sitting on an unmade cot inside a large tent.
The mercenary leader’s white, form-sitting beige T-shirt tightly hugs his gut while his black drawers accentuate his skinny, pasty legs.
Metadata shows the snapshot was taken at 7:24 a.m. June 12, just 11 days before Prigozhin tried to lead an armed rebellion against Russian military leaders, according to the Telegraph.
It is unclear who took or leaked the picture.
The image is just the latest in a string of leaked snaps showing the once-feared warlord in bizarre and embarrassing getups.
Six photos were aired Wednesday on a Russian state-controlled TV station showing Prigozhin donning a series of absurd disguises, complete with wigs and fake beards for his mercenary work overseas.
The photo of Yevgeny Prigozhin was taken in mid-June but was leaked on Russian languages channels on Telegram Friday. Russian Chat Forums
In one image, the Wagner chief is seen sporting Justin Beiber-esque side-swept bangs, while in another he accessorized with a long salt and pepper beard reminiscent of Sacha Baron Cohen’s character in “The Dictator.”
The string of leaked images appears to be part of an effort by Vladimir Putin’s regime to discredit Prigozhin in the wake of his failed armed mutiny.
Prigozhin led troops on a march to Moscow last month as part of a suspected plan to capture top Russian military leaders to demand a military leadership change.
Six photos were aired on a Russian state-controlled TV station showing the Prigozhin donning a series of absurd disguises. social media/e2w
Prigozhin claimed the uprising was not aimed at the president but at removing other top brass.
The mercenary group boss ultimately aborted his short-lived insurrection after striking a deal with the Kremlin.
In the wake of the surrender, Kremlin forces raided Prigozhin’s St. Petersburg mansion and office, where they found a roomful of sophisticated medical equipment, a massive arsenal of guns, multiple passports and nearly $111 million in cash and gold bars collected from his properties.
Prigozhin led troops on a march to Moscow last month as part of a suspected plan to capture top Russian military leaders to demand a military leadership change. AP
Law enforcement officials shared their findings with state media in an attempt to undermine Prigozhin’s image among the public, who had seen him as a warrior on the frontline of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“Showing the wealth that Prigozhin has is a way to undercut his anti-elite message amongst the population,” Mary Glantz, senior advisor for the Russia and Europe Center for the United States Institute of Peace, told The Hill.
Putin branded Prigozhin a traitor and denied he was ever Wagner’s real leader.
Vladimir Putin is seemingly running a smear campaign against Prigozhin. AP
The president vowed harsh punishment, though the criminal case against the mercenary chief on rebellion charges was later dropped.
In a Thursday interview with business daily Kommersant, Putin said Wagner “simply doesn’t exist,” anymore after he claimed he offered the group the option to remain intact after the insurrection — but Prigozhin rejected the idea.
With Post wires
Source: New York Post
