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COMMANDER // 1961–2023

Yevgeny Prigozhin

Leader of the Wagner GroupSoviet UnionRussia2 battles2 wars

Lifespan

1961 – 2023

197019801990200020102020Syrian Civil War · 2011Russo-Ukrainian War · 2014Palmyra offensive — March 9, 2016 · Syrian Arab Republic · Syrian Civil WarBattle of Bakhmut — August 9, 2022 · Russia · Russo-Ukrainian War

Active service 2016–2022 — 2 battles across 2 wars; first command at age 55.

Profile

Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin was a Russian mercenary leader, rebel commander, and oligarch. He led the Wagner Group, a private military company, and was a close confidant of Russian president Vladimir Putin until he launched a one-day rebellion in June 2023. Prigozhin was sometimes referred to as "Putin's chef" because he owned restaurants and catering businesses that provided services to the Kremlin. Once a convict in the Soviet Union, Prigozhin controlled a network of influential companies whose operations, according to a 2020 investigation, were "tightly integrated with Russia's Defence Ministry and its intelligence arm, the GRU".

Source · Wikipedia · Q20850503

Battles (2)

Last verified June 2026
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