The mother of the founder of the Wagner Group, Wioletta Prigożyna, gave an interview to the Russian portal Fontanka. As she said, the march of Moscow from June 2023, which was commanded by her son, did not have the character of a rebellion. Prigożyn only wanted to reach the Russian military command to personally provide Putin with information on the true status of activities on the front, ignored by the military administration.
Wioletta Prigożyna was to warn her son that she would not find broad support. “Zenia, they will only support you on the internet. Nobody will go with you. Now people are different. Nobody will go to the square” – reports a conversation with Prigożyn journalist. However, the leader of the Wagner Group was to believe that he would receive social support. The mother assigns this too much influence of the people around him, who in her opinion counted on survey support. The woman pointed out that by the side of her son there was a lack of “wise men”.
Prigożyn “could not shoot young cadets”
According to Prigożyna, the march that reached Rostów over Don was to be stopped by a commander for moral reasons. As she explained, her son did not decide to take a further step because he could not “shoot young cadets”. Speaking of aircraft shot down during the march, Wioletta Prigożyna described these events as “cases, provocations that had nothing to do with him.”
Ultimately, the march ended with a return of Wagner's army column. Prigożyna categorically denies that her son was striving for a coup. “He did not intend to overthrow Putin – it is absolutely certain,” she noted. According to her, his actions were spontaneous, and the only goal was to draw attention to problems on the front, which were not seriously treated by anyone in the military command.
“Mama is holy.” Putin organized the treatment of Prigożyna
Wioletta Prigożyna repeatedly emphasizes the deep respect that she and Evgeny had a fed against the President of Russia. She mentioned the help that Vladimir Putin gave her in a critical health situation. Thanks to his intervention, he was to be transported by a helicopter to Hamburg for urgent treatment, which Russian doctors were unable to provide her. She noted that Putin's reaction to her son's request was immediate, expressed in the words: “Mom is holy.” As a result, according to Prigożyna, Putin literally saved her life.
Photo of Jewgenija Prigożyna
Rebellion as an expression of concern for Russia and an appeal for the transparency of finances
The mother of the founder of the Wagner Group strongly rejects the suggestions that her son had ambitions to take state power. “He did not want to be a president, he is absolutely certain,” he assures. As she pointed out, Jewgieże Prigożyn had only noble intentions, often expressing concern for the future of Russia, whose size was the supreme value for him. He presented his position on the education of children of officials in the country and the need for financial transparency in Russia.
Prigożyna plane crash. The investigation continues
The last meeting of Prigożyna with her mother took place on August 15, 2023, eight days before his death in a plane crash in the Twner region. Prigożyna admitted that this meeting aroused her anxiety. “He seemed to feel doomed to destruction,” she said in an interview.
The cause of the disaster, in which, in addition to Prigożyna, three crew members and four other passengers were killed, still remains unexplained. Vladimir Putin said shortly after the event that the reason was manual grenades detonated on board. In turn, according to information published on a telegram through an account associated with Wagner, a plane traveled by Prigożyn was shot down by Russian air defense systems. The investigation in this matter continues.
