Mykhailo Podolyak: Troubled Times With Numerous Deaths Beginning In Russian Federation

The Office of the President of Ukraine commented on the news of Prigozhin's death.

The death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the internationally recognised criminal organisation PMC Wagner, in a plane crash in Russia's Tver region on August 23 is most likely revenge of Russian President Vladimir Putin for the rebellion of June 23-24. This was stated on Twitter by Mykhailo Podolyak, advisor to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

"Regarding Prigozhin: we must wait for the dispelling of the fog of war .... However, it is clear that Putin forgives no one his own bestial fear - the very same fear that nullified him in June 2023 - and has been waiting for the moment. It is also obvious that Prigozhin signed a particular death sentence for himself at the moment when he believed in Lukashenka's strange 'guarantees' and Putin's no less absurd 'honest word'," he wrote.

The adviser believes that the "demonstrative elimination of Prigozhin" and the Wagner command (according to some reports, the commander of the Wagner PMC Dmitry Utkin was also killed) two months after the coup attempt is "a signal from Putin to the Russian elites before the elections in 2024: "Fear! Disloyalty equals death."

"Yet it is also a signal to the Russian military: there will be no 'heroes of the SWO'. If not a Ukrainian tribunal, then a bullet from the FSB," Podolyak noted.

In comments to "Meduza" Podolyak said that "the rapid confirmation by Rosaviation representatives of Prigozhin's death looks extremely surprising."

"Usually it takes a certain amount of time after plane crashes to make an exact cross-reference of who exactly was on board. So here it is one of two things: either they know and deliberately report it, because the price for disloyalty is death, or it is a shock reaction and, as a consequence, a violation of internal protocols. Nevertheless, if the plane crash occurred, it certainly confirms that a new stage in Russia's domestic politics has begun. A 'troubled time' with numerous deaths is beginning," he said.

The adviser to the head of the OP projected the story with Prigozhin onto Russia's war against Ukraine.

"I believe that this is also a direct signal to Western elites that Putin can fear a lot. But he does not forgive the 'loss of face', the insults by supporting Ukraine, the ISS warrant [for Putin's arrest] and so on. And that's why the wrong end of the war, the compromise options, the next Minsk agreements are a big problem. With extreme consequences. Putin will retaliate. In a hybrid way. Finally, this is a signal to the Russian army that no "heroes" are really there, and that any disloyalty will be punishable by death, and that only "poteshny heroes" are possible. The main task of the army is to kill, die and not to scare Putin," Podolyak explained.