Russia’s Wagner Group founder admits to US election interference
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
A day before the United States votes in midterm elections , the founder of Russia’s Wagner Group, a private mercenary force, has admitted to interfering in US elections and promised to continue.
“We have interfered, we are interfering and we will continue to interfere – carefully, accurately, surgically and in our own way, as we know how to do,” Yevgeny Prigozhin said on Monday in comments posted by the press service of his Concord catering firm on Russian social media.
“During our pinpoint operations, we will remove both kidneys and the liver at once,” the Russian businessman wrote on VK, the Russian equivalent of Facebook.
He did not elaborate.
A 2018 US Justice Department indictment accused a Prigozhin-linked troll farm, the Internet Research Agency, of sowing divisions in the US electorate during the 2016 election campaign by using Facebook and Twitter.
Prigozhin usually keeps a low public profile but has become more outspoken in the course of the Ukraine war and has criticised Russian generals.
In September, after years of secrecy, he admitted to founding the Wagner Group, which has been active in Syria, African nations and now Ukraine.
On Friday, the Wagner Group opened a defence technology centre in St Petersburg, a further step by Prigozhin to highlight his military credentials and take a more public role in Russia’s defence policy.
Prigozhin owns a network of companies and is often referred to as “Putin’s chef” because his catering company has Kremlin contracts.
In July, the US State Department offered a reward of up to $10m for information on Prigozhin in connection with “engagement in US election interference.”
Those allegations have led the US, United Kingdom and European Union to sanction Prigozhin.
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'Nice' to see the Bear has her very own Eric Prince. Nice digs Yevgeny!
The Wagner Group, a private mercenary force, opened its first headquarters building on Friday in St Petersburg
In addition to killing women and kids among their war crimes, they are into political espionage/interference as well. Branching out like any good little corporation.
Damn Russians, but thank you. I went to the liquor store Saturday and purchased a case of Beluga Noble for $15. I was going to buy Belvedere and they had it just sitting by the register with a fire sale price. I'm waiting for high end caviar to arrive at the same point but it's still a little high.
And you only bought one case?
The funny thing is, the US has private mercenary groups as well.
Anyway, it seems they know who and what to target.
Isn't that the truth, Blackwater comes to mind. Instead of social media they like to put bullets in the heads of women in children in third world Countries.
I know it is not a popular opinion and I will probably get blasted for this but, we all have known Russia does this. What people don't want to face is we do the same things. We only try to act like us doing it is in the better interest. Then we wonder why other countries hate us...