Unraveling the Enigma of Evgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group.

Evgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner Group paramilitary cartel, has been making statements that nobody else in Russia would be able to get away with, including insulting the country's military leaders publicly and acknowledging that the war against Ukraine has failed miserably to bring the changes Vladimir Putin intended. Despite this, Prigozhin is allowed to tour around the country giving press conferences. Former Russian intelligence officers and a person close to the Russian Defense Ministry suggest that Prigozhin's activities are coordinated with Putin, who uses him to keep the elites in check and maintain an atmosphere of fear. Prigozhin is also seen as a means of monitoring the situation and controlling combat veterans when they return from the front.