#Evgeny Utkin

[rearte2]

by Evgeny Utkin, 2007

[ruscatontheroof]

"In the boxing gym" E. Utkin (2017)

"В боксерском зале" Е.Уткин (2017)

[mariacallous]

Nine others died in the August 23 plane crash that reportedly killed Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenary leader who staged a brief mutiny against Russia’s Defense Ministry in late June. Prigozhin’s death isn’t verified yet, but Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency has confirmed that he was on the passenger list. The other high-profile passenger aboard the doomed flight was Dmitry Utkin, the Wagner Group commander whose callsign is the basis for the company’s very name. Journalists at BBC Russian and the Dossier Center collected information about the other passengers and crew members who perished in the crash. Meduza summarizes these reports.

Passengers

Valery Chekalov

Chekalov managed multiple companies in St. Petersburg that were linked to Prigozhin. BBC Russia learned that his acquaintances logged his number in their phones as “Valery Evgenievich Syria,” “Valery Chekalov Concord Army,” and “Valery Evgenievich Chekalov from Prigozhin.” From 2011 to 2018, he headed the company “Kollektiv-Servis,” which won a contract with the Defense Ministry’s Commissary in 2012 to supply food to the army. Around the same time, the company registered an entity with a mess hall in Sevastopol, the home of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

Chekalov also managed a company created in 2014 called “Neva,” which operated the subsidiary “Evro Polis” — the same Evro Polis that signed a memorandum with the Syrian government in 2016 to recapture and guard oil facilities in exchange for the value of 25 percent of the oil and gas produced there, according to reporting by the news outlet Fontanka. 

Evgeny Makaryan

Born in Magnitogorsk, Makaryan was a former police officer. According to the Dossier Center, he joined Wagner Group in March 2016, serving in its fourth assault detachment in Syria, where he was wounded. BBC Russian calls him one of Prigozhin’s bodyguards.

Sergey Propustin

Propustin is listed at Myrotvorets, the Ukrainian website that names and sometimes doxxes people its authors consider to be “enemies of Ukraine.” Myrotvorets identifies him as a grenadier reconnaissance officer and Wagner Group fighter. According to the Dossier Center, Propustin fought in the Second Chechen War. He reportedly joined Wagner in March 2015 and fought in its second reconnaissance assault detachment, from which Prigozhin would later recruit several of his personal bodyguards. Accordingly, BBC Russian reports that Propustin was another Prigozhin bodyguard.

Alexander Totmin

Myrotvorets lists Totmin too. It’s unknown when he started working for Prigozhin, but journalists learned that he was living in St. Petersburg as recently as 2022. His phone number shows up in shared databases identified as “Sanya Work PMC,” “Totmin Sanya Kontora Piter,” and “Alexander W.” In August 2012, a court in the Altai Krai sentenced him to 300 hours of community service for stealing a chainsaw from a bathhouse located on someone else’s property. In September 2014, he was sentenced to two years of probation for car theft.

Nikolai Matuseev

Researchers at the Dossier Center believe that the Nikolai Matuseev listed among the plane-crash passengers is the same one who joined Wagner Group in January 2017. He was a gunner in the organization’s fourth assault detachment in Syria.

Crew

Rustam Karimov

The aircraft’s 29-year-old second pilot, Karimov lived with his wife in Perm. He graduated from the Sasovo Flight School in Russia’s Ryazan region in 2014. Karimov’s father told reporters that his son was unemployed at the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He says Rustam found work three months ago with MNT-Aero, the company that owns the crashed plane, and then moved to St. Petersburg.

Alexey Levshin

Levshin was the plane’s captain. His daughter Anastasia told the news outlet RBC that her father had worked with Prigozhin for many years, though she provided no further details. BBC Russian discovered that Levshin was featured in a 2018 broadcast by the television network Vesti Novosibirsk about an airshow that included military pilots. In the story, he was identified as the navigator of a Sukhoi Su-34 crew.

Kristina Raspopova

Raspopova was the plane’s flight attendant. Thirty-nine years old, she was born in what is now Kazakhstan. According to the news outlet 74.ru, her younger brother is the deputy prosecutor in Yemanzhelinsk, a city in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region. She attended the Moscow Finance and Law University and lived for some time in Yekaterinburg before moving to Moscow. The Telegram channel Baza reports that she relocated to St. Petersburg after finding a job at MNT-Aero.

Posts on social media indicate that Raspopova often traveled abroad, sharing photos from Jamaica, Singapore, Austria, and other countries. Multiple times, she flew aboard a business jet similar to the plane that crashed: an Embraer Legacy with the tail number RA-02857 based at Vnukovo International Airport, which she frequented. According to Baza, Raspopova spoke to her family a few hours before her final flight departed and said that the plane had been delayed for some reason.

[kamaradasnuff]

"Ser un guerrero es vivir para siempre"

Evgeny Prigozhin. Estas palabras reflejan todo el significado de la vida de un Hombre, basado en el coraje, la verdad y la devoción a sus ideales y a su pueblo. 🤙 La vida del Primero es una búsqueda incesante de la perfección. Entendió que la verdadera fuerza no está sólo en las victorias, sino también en la capacidad de levantarse después de la derrota y seguir adelante. Vivir por el bien de los que están cerca, protegiéndolos y compartiendo con ellos tu destino, estar con la gente hasta tu último aliento.

Noveno: Dmitry Utkin fue un militar destacado, cuyos méritos militares se destacaron repetidamente a nivel estatal. Uno de sus premios es la Orden del Coraje, que el comandante del PMC recibió varias veces. El noveno se convirtió en un símbolo de la hermandad militar, personificando no solo la fuerza física, sino también el poder del espíritu. Su vida estuvo dedicada al servicio y cada uno de sus pasos estuvo imbuido del deseo de proteger a sus camaradas y a su país. Como líder del PMC de Wagner, inspiró a los combatientes a tomar acciones que excedieron los intereses personales (se convirtieron en parte de una gran idea) para proteger a su pueblo.

Al elegir el camino del guerrero, eligieron la eternidad. El recuerdo de personas como Yevgeny Prigozhin y Dmitry Utkin vivirá para siempre en los corazones de quienes valoran el coraje y la devoción. Vivir para luchar, luchar para vivir: ésta es la verdadera vocación de un guerrero. “La muerte no es el final, es sólo el comienzo de algo más. Todos iremos al infierno, pero en el infierno seremos los mejores".

Primero. ❗️

[giancarlonicoli]

24 ago 2023 08:18

CRONACA DI UNA MORTE ANNUNCIATA - BOMBA A BORDO O MISSILI, LA PUNIZIONE DI PUTIN CONTRO PRIGOZHIN DOVEVA ESSERE CLAMOROSA - RESTANO PERÒ INTERROGATIVI AI QUALI PROBABILMENTE NESSUNO POTRÀ PIÙ RISPONDERE: COSA HA SPINTO PRIGOZHIN A FIDARSI DELLE “GARANZIE DI SICUREZZA” DI PUTIN? PERCHÉ UN UOMO CON ESPERIENZE DI GOLPE IN AFRICA, RAID IN SIRIA E INTRIGHI IN RUSSIA SI È IMBARCATO SU UN AEREO INSIEME AL SUO BRACCIO DESTRO DMITRY UTKIN? LA SCOMPARSA DEL “CUOCO DI PUTIN” SAREBBE UNA VITTORIA DEI GENERALI RUSSI MA ORA PER MOSCA APPALTARE LA GUERRA A ALTRI ESERCITI PRIVATI SARÀ DIFFICILE... -

Estratto dell'articolo di Anna Zafesova per la Stampa

Bomba a bordo o missili, la punizione di Putin contro Prigozhin doveva essere clamorosa

La notizia dello schianto dell’aereo con a bordo Evgeny Prigozhin è arrivata esattamente due mesi dopo che il “cuoco di Putin” aveva lanciato la sua marcia su Mosca, e il giorno dopo l’annuncio del licenziamento del suo alleato Sergey Surovikin dalla carica di comandante delle forze aerospaziali russe.

Nulla sembra lasciato al caso in questo giallo che sembra scritto da un sceneggiatore di Hollywood, che chiude due mesi di una strana e impossibile convivenza tra il golpista e la sua mancata vittima. Perché la morte annunciata di Prigozhin mette la parola “fine” anche al dibattito su quanto il suo ammutinamento del 23-24 giugno scorso fosse stato un tentato colpo di Stato o solo un litigio alla corte del Cremlino: era un golpe, e Putin e i suoi generali l’hanno interpretato correttamente come tale. 

(...)

Restano però interrogativi ai quali probabilmente nessuno potrà più rispondere: cosa ha spinto Prigozhin a fidarsi delle “garanzie di sicurezza” di Putin? Perché un uomo con esperienze di golpe in Africa, raid in Siria e intrighi in Russia si è imbarcato su un aereo insieme al suo braccio destro Dmitry Utkin - l’ufficiale dello spionaggio militare russo Gru amante di Hitler e del suo compositore preferito, il cui codice di battaglia aveva dato il nome ai “Wagner” - e gli altri comandanti del suo esercito privato?

E soprattutto, quali disposizioni aveva lasciato - non poteva non sapere che i signori della guerra non muoiono nel proprio letto - per i suoi miliardi, i suoi arsenali e soprattutto quell’immenso archivio di affari sporchi che aveva svolto per conto del Cremlino? I canali Telegram dell’“orchestra” promettono vendette, ma resta il dubbio che senza i propri leader i Wagner non possano rappresentare una vera forza, nonostante le vaste simpatie di cui godono sia nell’esercito che tra i nazionalisti più estremi. Parte dei mercenari si erano già trasferiti in altre compagnie di contractor, tra cui la Redut dell’amico di Putin, il petroliere Gennady Timchenko, altri probabilmente saranno pronti ad accettare offerte di lavoro in Africa.

La vittoria dei generali russi, a cominciare dal ministro della Difesa Shoigu, nello scontro con Prigozhin, è una buona notizia per gli ucraini. Per i russi invece, il risultato è più difficile da prevedere: gli altri eserciti privati a cui appaltare una guerra dello Stato difficilmente saranno altrettanto temibili, e i loro padroni saranno più prudenti. I rottami dell’aereo del “cuoco di Putin” dovrebbero essere, nelle intenzioni di chi l’ha fatto esplodere, un monito a tutti quelli che possono volere ancora criticare o ribellarsi. Ma sono anche un allarme: nessuna garanzia, nessuna promessa, nessuna fedeltà valgono nulla. Una lezione che sicuramente verrà imparata: il prossimo Prigozhin non si fermerà più a 200 chilometri da Mosca.

[russianreader]

By Popular Demand

An Embraer Legacy plane belonging to businessman and founder of Wagner PMCs Evgeny Prigozhin crashed in the Tver Region. Seven passengers and three crew members were killed. According to the Federal Air Transport Agency, among the dead are Prigozhin himself, the commander of the PMCs Dmitry Utkin (“Wagner”), his deputy Valery Chekalov and several other mercenaries. The possible death of the…

[774]

In Russia un aereo con a bordo 10 persone è precipitato nella regione di Tver, tra Mosca e San Pietroburgo. Secondo Rosaviatsia, l'agenzia federale del trasporto aereo russo, il fondatore della Wagner "Evgeny Prigozhin era nell'elenco dei passeggeri assieme al suo vice nella gerarchia della Wagner, Dmitry Utkin. Sarebbero morti entrambi e i loro cadaveri identificati. Secondo i servizi di emergenza russi, "non ci sono superstiti". Il business jet Embraer Legacy 600 con numero di registrazione RA-02795, che apparteneva a Prigozhin, è stato abbattuto dal fuoco della difesa aerea russa. Sono stati recuperati tutti e dieci i corpi. "Il capo del Gruppo Wagner, eroe della Russia e vero patriota Prigozhin è morto a causa delle azioni dei traditori della Russia. Ma anche all'Inferno sarà il migliore! Gloria alla Russia", afferma il canale Telegram Grey Zone, vicino alla Wagner. Secondo i canali russi su Telegram, però, "un secondo aereo privato di Prigozhin, un Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 650 con il numero RA-02748, è atterrato all'aeroporto moscovita di Ostafyevo" dopo l'abbattimento dell'altro jet. E anche il canale ufficiale della Wagner, pur non sbilanciandosi, conferma la presenza del secondo aereo e chiarisce: "Nonostante molti canali scrivano che Prigozhin è morto, avrebbe potuto volare sull'altro aereo".

Russia, si schianta aereo con 10 persone: "Prighozin era a bordo"

[rausule]

20:44 Wo. 23 Aug

Wagner-paramilitêre Vliegtuigongelukke in Rusland,

Vliegtuigongelukke in Rusland, Prigozhin onder die passasiers - AF-nuus 'n Privaatvliegtuig met tien mense aan boord het vanmiddag in die Tver-distrik, Rusland, 180 kilometer noordwes van Moskou, neergestort. Daar is geen oorlewendes nie. Die stigterleier van die Wagner-paramilitêre groep, Evgeny Prigozhin, is onder die passasiers gelys, berig Rusland se Federale Lugvervoeragentskap Rosaviatsya, wat deur Russiese media aangehaal is.

Die vliegtuig sou 'n Embraer Legacy 600 wees met registrasienommer RA-82795 wat aan Prigozhin behoort het.

“ ’n Ondersoek is geopen,” lui Rosaviatsia se verklaring. Die redders

Selfs kringe na aan die hoof van Wagner bevestig op hul Telegram-kanale dat hulle nie kan nie

om met hom in aanraking te kom.

Volgens die onafhanklike Oekraïense webwerf "Kyiv Post", wat Russiese Telegram-kanale aanhaal, was die nommer twee van die Wagner-groep, Deitry Utkin, ook op die vliegtuig. Selfs in hierdie geval is daar vir nou geen amptelike bevestigings nie.

Die pro-Russiese goewerneur van die Oekraïense stad Zaporizhzhia, Vladimir Rogov, het op Telegram geskryf: "Ek was sopas in kontak met belangrike musikante (wat aan Wagner behoort, red.). Hulle het die dood van Yevgeny Prigozhin en Dmitri Utkin bevestig".

Poetin se voormalige vriend wat dit gewaag het om hulle uit te daag

62 jaar oud, 'n voormalige persoonlike vriend en getroue bondgenoot van Vladimir Poetin, Prigozhin het verander in 'n doring in die oog van die Russiese verdedigingsapparate, wat hy al hoe harder gekritiseer het en veral die vinger na Sergei Shoigu, minister van verdediging, teen die kop van Personeel Valery Gerasimov.

11 23 Junie 2023 het 'n poging tot muitery geloods en 'n "optog na Moskou na

wat hy gesê het Russiese gereelde magte in 'n vuurpylaanval het 'n aantal doodgemaak

"groot aantal burgermagte. Teen hom het 1F58, die federale geheime diens, uitgestaan ​​as 'n

inhegtenisnemingsbevel vir sameswering teen die staat.

Die opstand het ná 'n paar jaar bedaar danksy die bemiddeling van die Wit-Russiese president Aleksandar Lukashenko, die burgermagmanne van die Wagner xi het na Wit-Rusland verhuis en is amnestie gekry. Die saak teen Prigozhin het ook blykbaar laat vaar, maar sedertdien het die president se gunsteling restaurantbyl 'n baie laer profiel aangeneem en selfs om te weet waar hy hom bevind, het dit moeilik geword.

Gister (Dinsdag 22) het Prigozhin sy eerste video sedert die Junie-opstand op Telegram gepubliseer, waarin hy in 'n woestyn verskyn het met 'n masjiengeweer in sy hand en miitiamen in die agtergrond. Die beelde en van sy woorde het dit laat blyk dat hy in Afrika was.

"Die temperatuur as grade, alles is hoe ons daarvan hou. Wagner PMC (private militêre maatskappy, red) maak Rusland groter op alle vastelande en maak Afrika vryer," sê Priguzhin in die video. "Geregtigheid en vrede vir die Afrika-volke maak die lewe van ISIS, Al Quaida en ander bandiete hel."

Die Wagner-groep is al jare aktief in talle Afrika-lande, insluitend Niger, Soedan, Mali.

Prigozhin was ook die finansierder en direkteur van 'n groep internetmaatskappye, insluitend die "Internetnavorsingsagentskap, wat deur Westerse dienste geglo word as instrumente van Rusland se hibriede oorlogvoering, insluitend inmenging met die 2016 Amerikaanse presidensiële verkiesing.

Poetin het Prigozhin ontmoet

Poetin het Prigozhin ontmoet

[mariacallous]

On the evening of August 23, Wagner Group leader Evgeny Prigozhin’s private plane crashed in Russia’s Tver region, northwest of Moscow. Ten people were killed in the crash, three of them members of the plane’s crew. According to Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, the passenger list included both Yevgeny Prigozhin and Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin. The official cause of the incident is still unknown. Meduza spoke to journalist Denis Korotkov, who has covered Prigozhin and Wagner Group for many years, about what made the Wagner founder’s death possible and what will become of his mercenaries now.

Do you think the plane was shot down or blown up from the inside? 

I’m not an aviation accident specialist, and I’m reluctant to draw conclusions from the few photos that have appeared in the public domain. Based on the available information, we can assume that the plane exploded at a high altitude. Either there was an explosion on board, or it was hit with an anti-aircraft missile. The only thing I can say is that you need a pretty decent anti-aircraft missile complex to shoot down a plane at that altitude.

Why did Prigozhin’s personal security fail?

If we’re talking about a missile, personal security can’t do anything about it. As for the possibility that someone got explosives on board, I don’t know how security works aboard the jet Mr. Prigozhin flew on. But you don’t need a huge amount of explosives to bring down a plane, especially such a small jet.

Do you know if Prigozhin took any extra security measures in the past two months following his aborted rebellion?

How seriously Prigozhin took his own security is an open question. When he wasn’t in the trenches, he was always hanging out close to the front. He visited various dangerous parts of the world. He wasn’t a coward or paranoid. It’s possible that he overestimated the guarantees of his own safety.

Do you think that Andrey Troshev, whom Putin proposed as the new Wagner boss, will take control of Prigozhin’s mercenaries?

I think there are a fair number of people who want to get involved [in running Wagner Group]. It’s possible the authorities will decide to split up the group to various places, or maybe they’ll give it whole to some individual. But in any case, it won’t be Troshev.

Troshev might be installed for show, but the head of any business needs to be a manager who can direct everything, from finances to organization and politics. We don’t know who that might be. I don’t believe it will be possible to maintain the Wagner structure. 

That group could exist only under Prigozhin’s leadership as part of his financial empire. Now, it will either cease to exist or it will devolve into one or several shady organizations, which, as usual, will be plundered. I don’t expect the old level of independence for the private military company [to continue].

What will happen to Wagner Group’s missions in Africa? 

Sudan, the Central African Republic, Mali, and Mozambique each have a different history with Wagner Group. They were united in large part only by the personality of Mr. Prigozhin. So it won’t work just to take the contracts and rewrite them — the processes are a bit more complicated.

In any case, I don’t think that everything will stay the same, just with a different figure leading. Financing, logistics, freedom to make decisions, and leadership hierarchy will all totally change. And then, as I said, it will get plundered and fall apart.

What will happen to fighters currently employed by Wagner Group? 

People who are at home relaxing will be able to think about what to do next. People in Belarus — we’ll see. I think they’ll split up and go home soon unless Lukashenko finds some use for them. But I seriously doubt he will — there isn’t anything for them to do there or anything to pay them. Those who are in Africa will continue working for some time just due to inertia. If a decision is made to re-enlist them, they’ll be re-enlisted, and then they’ll scatter or be gradually killed off there.

If those projects don’t continue, they’ll be evacuated. However, there are real logistical issues. If we assume the list of those killed [on board] the flight is accurate, that means the decisionmaker [Prigozhin] has died, and the main organizer of finances and logistics, Valery Chekalov, has also died. The death of Mr. Utkin doesn’t play a big role, but it’s still a blow in terms of the general mess.

Why doesn’t Uktin’s death play a big role? 

He was just one commander — they’ll install another one. He had trained soldiers who can take over his position.

Like who? 

Like Alexander Kuznetsov, the commander of the assault troops. Or Anton Yelizarov. There are three or four assault troop commanders who could, theoretically, take Utkin’s place.

You said that the person who was responsible for the financial component of Wagner Group was killed. Will that affect payments to active fighters?

Of course. That’s one of the problems with an unincorporated private military company. All its obligations exist only informally. If the relatives of a deceased Wagner fighter haven’t received payments, it’s not guaranteed that they ever will. It’s the same with wounded fighters and with those who are now finishing missions in Africa.

Their money was guaranteed by Prigozhin personally. Their salaries came in the form of bags of cash distributed under the table. Prigozhin guaranteed them and was interested in fulfilling his obligations. And he did. But who’s interested in that now? 

Do you think these events could cause a schism in the army?

No. Much more serious contradictions than Prigozhin’s murder currently stress the army. Soldiers worry about much more serious problems than Prigozhin’s fate. There are logistical failures, failures with combat training and combat itself, shortages of basic necessities, and more complex problems with troop rotations. So there may be a schism in the army, but Prigozhin’s death won’t be the cause or even an excuse.

Did you, personally, believe that Prigozhin would be killed after his failed rebellion? 

It was very likely that he would be killed. Where and when were not obvious. The pointedness of the method is surprising. The prevailing opinion is that Vladimir Putin killed him, regardless of the political affiliations. Not personally, but still. And then, for example, the flight attendant on board had nothing to do with anything. If Prigozhin had been on a regular flight, would they have resorted to shooting down the whole plane?

[mariacallous]

Responding to Evgeny Prigozhin’s remarks about the Chechen battalion Akhmat, State Duma Deputy Adam Delimkhanov (an ethnic Chechen allied with the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov) recorded a Telegram video message to Prigozhin, telling him to tone down his statements about the military in general and Akhmat in particular.

On May 31, Prigozhin’s question-and-answer service published his reply to a media query about Akhmat battalion and whether it could successfully occupy the self-proclaimed “Donetsk Republic.” Prigozhin shared an opinion that Akhmat may have enough power to occupy certain locales, but hardly all of the “DNR.”

In his reply video, Delimkhanov assured Prigozhin that Akhmat is “meeting the goals set by the commander-in-chief,” that is, by Vladimir Putin.

“Of course, Evgeny, you don’t understand this, and you needn’t understand,” Delimkhanov said. “If there’s something you don’t understand, you can get in touch anytime and name the place where we can meet you and explain whatever it is you don’t get.”

Delimkhanov went on to criticize Prigozhin for negative publicity about the Russian military and its ammunition shortages, pointing out that, unlike Wagner Group, Akhmat’s commanders never complained about “being short of anything.”

“Enough with your talk, with all this yelling and screaming. Name the place where we’re going to see each other, and we’ll settle any questions you have, face to face, as Ramzan Kadyrov says. Enough already,” Delimkhanov concluded.

Speaker of the Chechen Parliament Magomed Daudov, another close associate of Ramzan Kadyrov, criticized Prigozhin’s public statements in a very similar vein:

You needn’t know, Evgeny, about our capabilities and our goals. This is something that our command and commander-in-chief who determines those goals know about, together with the republic’s head, Hero of Russia Ramzan Kadyrov.

Like Delimkhanov, Daudov rebuked Prigozhin for his ��daily statements” that “sow a mood of panic among our country’s population,” inviting him to send the coordinates for “meeting as men do.”

Prigozhin’s response: Prigozhin responded to these criticisms by saying he doesn’t see anything wrong with his comments about the Akhmat battalion and added that, “in regard to my location, all those involved in this discussion know my confidential phone numbers very well and are able to connect with me.”

Wagner Group’s commander Dmitry Utkin response: “We’re already in World War Three. In response to the current events, I completely agree. Certain citizens must be put up against a wall, for the shame that they brought. PMC WAGNER HAS NEVER, DOESN’T, AND WILL NOT panic. We solve any problems that arise using the methods available to us, which do not contradict Russian laws and the constitution. Where did such familiarity come from? Who gave you the right to refer to [Prigozhin] [informally] ? We didn’t receive any planes, helicopters or MLRS [multiple rocket launcher systems] from you.” Utkin also added that he’s ready to talk “man to man,” and that he’s known his Chechen counterparts since the first and second Chechen Wars.