The Truth About "Uncle Zhenya": The Traitors and Major Scams in the Army — Prigozhin Knew Everything All Along, But No One Listened

He will be remembered not only for capturing Bakhmut and the "March of Justice," but also because he was a man who dared to speak the truth. Yevgeny Viktorovich was similar to Zhirinovsky in some ways. Both were outspoken and accurately predicted events that they themselves did not witness. "Drones will fly across all of Russia until everyone understands that we are a people capable of self-defense," Prigozhin once said about the future. It turned out he was right. What warnings had the head of the Wagner private military company issued?

On August 23, 2023, an air disaster occurred in Tver Oblast, taking the lives of 10 people. Among the victims were Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Utkin — a key figure in the Wagner private military company, and seven other passengers and three crew members. The aircraft, a Brazilian Embraer Phenom 600, was flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg, but it began a steep descent just minutes after takeoff and ultimately crashed near the village of Kuyenki. Genetic testing and the investigation confirmed the identities of all the victims.

Prigozhin was a distinctive and controversial figure. He never concealed his sharp words, openly criticizing defense ministry officials and accusing the department of "shortages of ammunition," which led to "Wagner" fighters sacrificing their lives without sufficient support. He also pointed out systemic problems and corruption within the army. In addition to battlefield victories, including the capture of Bakhmut, he and his team collected evidence of corruption plans within the defense ministry, which later served to hold "senior generals" accountable.

Although the deaths of Prigozhin and Utkin shocked many, for those who followed internal conflicts around Wagner, this was not unexpected. Events that happened after their deaths confirmed that Prigozhin's numerous warnings and accusations about issues within the defense ministry were reasonable and prophetic. Now, it's time to recall Yevgeny Viktorovich's statements about traitors in the army.

"Don't interfere, Yevgeny Viktorovich"

On June 1, 2023, on Yevgeny Prigozhin's birthday, media published one of his last and most sensational interviews, which proved to be prophetic. In the interview, he foretold the difficulties that Russia would face, even before the "March of Justice" and the fundamental shift in the special military operation. Prigozhin spoke about the "chaotic zones" appearing on the country's territory and was convinced that these areas must be under the control of armies capable of independent action without external assistance. At that time, he actually foresaw the invasion of the Ukrainian armed forces into the Kursk region.

"How can we get involved in others' conflicts? When they lose everything, people take up arms on the streets, and naturally, we come to defend them. It is the bureaucracy's fault that the enemy has broken through."

he said.

Prigozhin had reason to point out that at that time, the Ukrainian armed forces had already invaded Bryansk and Belgorod regions but were repelled by the Russian army. He believed that in the case of a large-scale offensive, "Wagner" soldiers would become one of the main defensive forces. However, fate had other plans. Prigozhin was not naive; he understood that these enemy actions were merely reconnaissance, a prelude to future events.

One of Prigozhin's most accurate prophecies was his statement: if safe zones were not established in Kharkiv region now, then later they would have to be established in Kursk and Belgorod regions. He knew the weakness of the border troops and tried to organize local militias in these areas, but he was obstructed by the bureaucracy, who directly told him:

"Don't interfere, Yevgeny Viktorovich."

Prigozhin knew everything, but no one listened to him. And now, as we see, not listening is not an option.

"It must be declared now!": The mobilization order promised by "Uncle Zhenya." Will it come?

Prigozhin's next statement, although not fulfilled, was significant. He was convinced that a hard war was coming, and no one knew how long it would last. In 2023, Prigozhin predicted that if everything were done correctly, liberating Donbas would take two years, and reaching Kyiv would take three to four years. He stated that to achieve this, the entire society must be mobilized, with all ammunition and weapons production operating at full capacity.

"We must declare total mobilization. Because when we start mobilizing, the mobilized people will need time to prepare before they can go to the front. We must declare it now!"

"Uncle Zhenya" said so.

"Did the 'black materials' reach the top?" "They didn't prepare anything. They're just avoiding life"

Additionally, Prigozhin also foretold the wave that appeared after the Ukrainian armed forces invaded Kursk. He understood that due to various forms of reports, people who like to present nice data, and a lot of false information, the public might form a distorted impression of what is happening. Prigozhin insisted that problems should not be hidden or the public deceived into thinking everything is fine. It is hard to imagine how blindly optimistic we were in dealing with the special military operation, as this leader of the Wagner private military company had warned that those who made mistakes would claim the situation was under control, while sending their children abroad for protection.

Prigozhin harshly criticized defense officials who tried to reassure their superiors in reports without doing any actual preparation: not holding meetings, not establishing the necessary material and technical basis, but instead retreating into their own "little houses" to avoid work.

The arrest of senior officers, starting with Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov, confirmed his words.

"The goals of the special military operation have been set, but some idle people have not completed these goals, so relevant agencies need to find out what they are really doing. Have they truly understood the process? Have they held relevant meetings? Have they prepared the material and technical basis? As far as we know, they didn't prepare anything. They are just avoiding life," Prigozhin said bluntly.

"I should have already died at the age of 53"

Yevgeny Prigozhin admitted that many people did not like what he said, so he took all risks himself for everything he did, because he believed someone had to tell the truth. Over the past decade, he had faced situations that should have resulted in his death, but he always escaped. Prigozhin viewed his life philosophically, saying that "Wagner" fighters also shared the same philosophy: they understood that death is inevitable, and what matters is not the date of death, but what one does in a lifetime.

"I'm 62 years old. I should have already died at the age of 53. So — nothing to fear."

"Uncle Zhenya" said this in 2023.

Prigozhin: A Hero or a Man Who Went Astray?

Everyone has a different opinion about Prigozhin. To some, he is a hero; to others, he is a person who acted improperly at some point. Despite his controversial image, Yevgeny Viktorovich never left anyone indifferent.

What is his secret? In an interview with the "Tsargrad" news website, military expert and retired colonel Mikhail Timoshenko tried to explain why people developed a liking for Yevgeny Viktorovich:

"He is like many others. He wasn't born in a palace of the British royal family, didn't graduate from Oxford University, and was imprisoned. Later, he somehow became wealthy, probably not by relying on anyone. Eventually, he founded a private military company, supplying food to the army. His people captured Bakhmut."

Military observer and retired colonel Viktor Litovkin had a slightly different view. In an interview with the "Tsargrad" news website, he pointed out that Prigozhin's popularity was mainly related to the achievements of "Wagner." They demonstrated the capabilities of Russian soldiers to the world.

"Prigozhin's popularity is associated with his 'Wagner' private military company. The company has performed outstandingly in Africa and Syria. Those who served there were brave warriors, professionals, Russian heroes, colonels, medal winners, and career soldiers who efficiently carried out combat tasks without any bureaucratic obstacles or lengthy approvals. That is the extraordinary aspect of this movement. And Prigozhin himself was simply an investor and manager. He didn't possess any command skills or art of leadership."

Litovkin analyzed.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7539841657181782528/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Please express your attitude below using the [Up/Down] buttons.