The man who bears a strong resemblance to Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner private military company, was reportedly born on June 26 and 28 in St. Petersburg. He was observed in an office on Vasilyevsky Island in the city. Reports cite these sightings from multiple sources.
One source indicates that in the first half of Wednesday, the same individual was seen in a building associated with the Prigozhin name. The sightings were described by Fontanka’s reporters, who noted the resemblance and connection to the Wagner figure while detailing the location and timing of the appearance.
Fontanka’s informants also claim that the man resembling Prigozhin was seen near the Trezzini Hotel on June 26, where it is alleged he arranged a meeting with his subordinates at the hotel, establishing a coordination point for their activities. The account situates these events in the broader timeline surrounding the movement of Wagner’s personnel.
On June 24, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian president, stated that Prigozhin appeared to be headed toward Belarus, adding a layer of strategic destination to the evolving situation. The remark contributed to the ongoing narrative about Prigozhin’s movements and potential shifts in alliance or command arrangements as the events unfolded.
That same evening, Yevgeny Prigozhin asserted that Russian Defense Ministry forces had attacked rear camps belonging to his PMC, claiming his fighters were advancing toward Moscow in a so-called “march for justice.” The Defense Ministry, however, denied the accusations, while the Prosecutor General’s Office filed a lawsuit against Prigozhin for organizing an armed riot, underscoring the legal and political dimensions of the crisis.
Before dawn on June 24, Wagner forces reportedly sealed several administrative buildings in Rostov-on-Don and began moving toward the capital. President Vladimir Putin publicly commented on the incident, calling the actions of the Wagner leadership a betrayal with serious consequences, and he warned Prigozhin and his commanders to consider the gravity of their actions.
That evening, the Belarusian presidential press service briefed the public on negotiations between Alexander Lukashenko and Prigozhin. It was reported that the talks aimed at a peaceful resolution to the dispute, with assurances for the safety of Wagner fighters. Following the negotiations, Prigozhin was said to have altered his course, deciding to reverse the advance and direct his columns back toward field camps to avoid a broader confrontation. This development reflected the high-stakes diplomacy unfolding behind the scenes during a period of rapid political maneuvering.
Throughout these events, statements attributed to Lukashenka regarding negotiations with Putin and Prigozhin were circulated by Peskov, though the exact content and tone of those remarks varied between briefings and official summaries. The evolving narrative showcased how corroborating details from different sides could shift the public understanding of the crisis, emphasizing the fluid nature of both the military actions and the diplomatic back-channel discussions. The reporting relied on multiple sources to construct a coherent timeline that highlighted the sequence of sightings, meetings, and strategic decisions as the situation developed. This narrative also underscored the tension between official government statements and the on-the-ground movements claimed by the Wagner leadership, illustrating the fraught communications environment characteristic of high-profile security crises. The coverage, while drawing on reported sightings and official statements, remained cautious about confirming every detail, balancing assertions with the evolving legal and political context as authorities pursued investigations and sought to stabilize the situation. Attribution is provided to Fontanka and to the official statements released through the Kremlin and Belarusian channels, with ongoing updates expected as new information emerged. (Fontanka)