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After the “secrets” of the Wagner Group were revealed amid its activities in Ukraine, press service of the Wagner Group began sharing the correspondence with the media. The requests of journalists are often addressed to head of the PMC YEvgeny Prigozhin, who personally responds to their question. It should be noted that Mr Prigozhin responds both to Russian and foreign journalists.
On January 30, Wagner sources shared the following request from Bloomberg:
Hello-
I am an editor at Bloomberg News and we are working on a story that involves the Wagner Group’s activities in Africa.
1. Does the Wagner Group operate in Mali, Central African Republic, Sudan and Libya?
2. Is the Wagner Group in talks with the government of Burkina Faso to deploy to that country?
3. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo said in December that Burkina Faso had entered into an agreement with the Wagner Group in exchange for access to a gold mine. What is the Wagner Group’s response?
4. According to data from ACLED, civilian deaths in Mali have roughly quadrupled to over 2,000 since Wagner deployed there in Dec. 2021, up from around 550 in the previous year. At least 750 were killed in in 2022 in attacks by Wagner fighters operating alongside Malian soldiers, according to ACLED data. What is the Wagner Group’s response?
5. Many countries, including the UK, Sweden and Germany, have announced their withdrawal from MINUSMA since Wagner’s deployment in Mali. What is the Wagner Group’s response?
6. Please respond to this May 2022 statement from the US state department: “Through companies that exploit Africa’s natural resources, political operatives who undermine democratic actors, front companies posing as NGOs, and social media manipulation, Prigozhin spreads disinformation to influence African politics in Russia’s favor.”
Thanks.
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The request from Bloomberg received a decent response by Mr Prigozhin:
“Bloomberg is a fairly well-known news agency, and I will be happy to answer your questions. But, unfortunately, the questions you are asking at the moment are provocative. Your goal is to formally send them to me in order to write a critical, absolutely false article about my activities and the activities of the Wagner PMCs.
However, if you have a speaker with a decent reputation, then I am ready to answer the most inconvenient, in your opinion, questions.
Since on January 26, 2023, the United States declared the Wagner PMC a transnational criminal organization. I propose to establish a form of dialogue in the form of prosecution and defense. You are the prosecutor (your representative, an authoritative journalist or Mr. Bloomberg, as you prefer), and I am a lawyer. I am waiting for your accusations on absolutely specific cases.
In my turn, with your permission, I reserve the right to ask questions to the US government through you. Keep in mind, some of them can be very uncomfortable.”
Prigozhin had previously stated that the United States would not force the Wagner PMCs to leave Africa in any way. According to him, many people do not like that Russia is pursuing an independent policy.
On January 31, the Wagner Group received another provocative request from CNN:
Good afternoon,
There is information that Wagner Group is executing recruited prisoners who refuse to fight or fulfil an order and declaring deceased fighters as missing to avoid insurance pay-outs? Could you please comment.
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Here is the comment by Yevgeny Prigozhin, who recalled Western journalists that Wagner PMC is an exemplary military organization that complies with all the laws and rules of modern conflicts”
“Gentlemen from CNN, do you really think that we will discuss our military issues with you, while you are our enemy. It’s like discussing military issues and sharing information with the CIA.
We can say with confidence that the Wagner PMCs is an exemplary military organization that complies with all the necessary laws and rules of modern wars.
However, if you somehow got information that one of our fighters did not receive insurance, then send a request to the press service, and we will be happy to deal with it. To date, not a single case of non-payment of insurance amounts has been recorded in the Wagner PMCs.
Separately, we would like to inform you that if American citizens, CNN readers, wish to join the ranks of the Wagner PMCs, they can send their appeal to the press service. We will definitely consider it. And even then, upon returning home, if the US government does not pursue these citizens, you can talk to them.
You may get information or interview them, if the disclosure of this data is not prohibited by the internal rules of the Wagner PMCs and will not fall under military secrecy.”
After the Wagner Group was officially unveiled in 2022, one of the heads of the PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin became a public figure and gained high popularity in Russia and abroad. His fighters proved their effectiveness on the battlefield which is also a result of strict rules in the Wagner ranks and high morale of its soldiers. Despite all the attempts of the MSM to slander Wagner, Mr. Prigozhin and his team prove that they are decent of their victories.
This Wagner boss shows so much integrity whereas CNN shows the intergity of a prostitute on drugs.
Brilliant replies from Mr. Prigozhin and the Wagner Group. Keep the good work going and hammer the yankees down wherever they are. They are just cowards hiding behind the backs of their pawns.
In future, Russians should elect Prigozhin as their president and fill government post with people from the Donbass and Crimea. The Russians should make it ever clearer that Crimea and the Donbass are at the center of their territory and absolutely non-negotiable, and the bogeyed dictator in Kiev can’t do anything about it.
He’ll be gone soon, not soon enough but soon.
Good answers.
Putin should appoint Prighozin as war time president should anything happen to him. See the reaction in the US Ukraine, NATO! It will be fun to watch it. Perhaps he should tell NATO he was willing to step down during the wartime. in favor of Prighozin.
USA-NATO are the lover of madness and lies…..USA-NATO are just doing their job trying to destroy all things which affect those nations.
Bloomberg News and CNN know the name of the man they are addressing. Therefore they should have the courtesy and enough balls to identify themselves by personal name. But, of course, since they both have the opinion that they are superior world citizens speaking to people they assume to be little more than common riff raff, they could never stoop that low. Anyway, their stupid talk is not questioning, but accusations. Tell them both to learn some basic lessons about honest journalism . In other words, BUZZ OFF. Both of them deserve no honoring. They are scum. Treat them accordingly.
CNN could convey those questions to blackwaters Eric price
Accordingly: all military special forces are equivalent to Wagner and thus must be treated the same. Otherwise it’s mere animal farm and some animals are more equal than others.
bela has already got to berlin…
Mr Prigozhin, you are as smart as Tsar Putin, Men you can’t find any other like. The Russian Army and Wagner, are among the best in the world if not the best today. Experienced in True Combat. The difference is huge, because NATO and the USA only fight against those who don’t even have boots, wear slippers and no vests, without air and satellite help, in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen and other countries in Africa and other continents. Russia’s economy is 7 times smaller than the US and 19 times smaller than the NATO/Canada Coalition, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Fight Bravely Against Half of the World’s GDP. They already sent the same as the Annual Russian Budget. Russia demonstrates Be Resilient and Learns Fast. Also, don’t forget the Chechen Commander in Ukraine and its Leader Kadirov.