Putin Aims to Discredit Prigozhin and Separate Him from Wagner: ISW

President Putin is working to portray Yevgeny Prigozhin as a corrupt liar in an effort to destroy his reputation within Wagner, according to the latest report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

On June 27, Putin implied that the owner of Concorde had lied about Wagner's independence and the absence of state compensation for its personnel. Prigozhin has built his personal reputation on criticizing Russian military commanders and bureaucrats for corruption and ties to Western countries, and Putin is likely attempting to undermine Prigozhin's populist persona by accusing him of the very same offenses.