Proghozhin, the Russian leader of a Wagner, could likely be jailed or dead according to what a retired general told ABC.
Following his failed mutiny in June 2023, Prigozhin has not been seen publicly. The bulk of his Wagner troops have been incorporated into the Russian Army, with the remnants sent to Belarus while they continue their security services in Africa and the Middle East.
General Robert Abrams opined on ABC that we will likely never see Prigozhin publicly again. This is despite a publicized meeting where Russian commanders, including Prigozhin, met with Putin to renew their loyalty. Abrams believes that Prigozhin is either in prison or killed remains to be seen.
Asked if he thought the billionaire businessman was alive after posing the most significant challenge to Putin’s regime since he came to power in 1999, Abrams said: “I personally don’t think he is, and if he is, he’s in a prison somewhere.”
The retired four-star general also raised doubts about a meeting that, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin held with Prigozhin and all his senior Wagner commanders on June 29, five days after the aborted mutiny.
Putin is faced with a difficult. If he imprisons or kills Prigozhin without proper legal process, he will be seen as going back on the deal to exile him. On the other hand, Prigozhin staying alive means that Putin looks weak which might make other generals attempt their own private agenda. In the long term, chances are high that Prigozhin will face charges or die from assassination.
General Robert Abrams is the son of General Creighton Abrams who commanded the American troops in Vietnam, and who the M1 Battle Tank was named after.
