Boss of Russian mercenary group Wagner Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Saturday that factions within the Kremlin were causing harm to the state by attempting to create divisions between him and Chechen fighters. Prigozhin stated that the disagreement between him and the Chechen forces, who are also involved in the conflict alongside the Russian army in Ukraine, had been resolved.
‘Kremlin towers’
However, on Saturday, Prigozhin attributed the discord to unidentified Kremlin factions, which he referred to as “Kremlin towers.” He claimed that their manipulative actions had escalated to the point where even President Putin had to reprimand them during a security council meeting.
In a message released by his press service, Prigozhin remarked that Pandora’s Box had already been opened and that they were not the ones responsible for it. He accused a Kremlin faction of engaging in dangerous games, which had now become commonplace in the “Kremlin towers,” ultimately leading to the destruction of the Russian state.
Although Prigozhin did not specifically identify the Kremlin faction, he warned that if their attempts to sow discord persisted, they would face severe consequences there will be “hell to pay”.
Chechen and Wagner boss’ spat
A close associate of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov publicly criticized the Wagner chief Prigozhin on Thursday. Adam Delimkhanov, a trusted ally of Kadyrov, addressed Prigozhin in a video message, referring to him using the diminutive form of his name, “Zhenya,” and the familiar Russian form of “you” (“ty”). Delimkhanov characterized Prigozhin as a blogger who incessantly shouts about problems. It sparked a strong response from a high-ranking Wagner fighter.
“If you don’t understand, then you can contact us and tell us the place and the time, I we will explain to you what you don’t understand,” Delimkhanov said of Prigozhin adding, “you have become a blogger who screams and shouts off to the whole world about all the problems,” Delimkhanov said. “Stop shouting, yelling and screaming.”
Dmitry Utkin, a former special forces officer with a significant role in Wagner, swiftly responded to the message, expressing strong disapproval.
Watch | Pakistan to begin barter trade with Afghanistan, Iran and Russia
“Where did such familiarity come from: who gave you the right to use the address ‘ty’ and ‘Zhenya’?” Utkin said in a message. It was reposted by Prigozhin on Telegram.