A pro-Kremlin Russian blogger said Thursday he was fired from the company he works for after publishing an interview with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the “Wagner” paramilitary group, in which he warned of a possible “revolution.” In Russia, according to the newspaper “.The Washington Post“.
Popular blogger Konstantin Dolkov posted a video on an online channel called “Telega Online” claiming he was fired after an interview with “Wagner” mercenary leader Prigozhin, widely known as “Putin’s chef”.
Tolko’s clip was quickly removed from the Teleka Online channel.
According to the “Washington Post”, the channel that the Russian blogger works for is active on the “RuTube” website, which the Russian government promotes as an alternative to the popular YouTube site.
Russian businessman Prigozhin, who has been recruiting prisoners to fight, has warned that Russia could be exposed to a “revolution” if the faltering war effort in Ukraine continues.
In an interview with Tolkov, he said on Tuesday that Russian forces were not prepared to resist even when their pro-Ukrainian counterparts entered Russian territory.CNNnews.
Prigozhin praised Putin’s Ukrainian forces, saying, “Today, I think Ukrainians have one of the most powerful armies in the world.”
He said they were “more organized, more trained, more intelligent and could run any military system, Soviet or NATO, with equal success.”
The head of the Russian mercenary force admitted that about 10,000 of the 50,000 prisoners recruited by “Wagner” from Russian prisons were killed on the front lines in the bloody Bagmud battle in Ukraine.
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While the fighting rages on in the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, other political battles are taking place in Moscow over what is happening in the city itself.
According to the American newspaper, the interview is widely seen as an attempt by Prigozhin to use his control of mercenaries in the eastern Ukrainian city of Pakmut to boost his local standing in Russian circles.
Prigozhin, who enjoys a personal relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has long been critical of the country’s military leaders, including Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who met with Putin last April.
They “can’t do anything” about Prigozhin.
“The interview came late Tuesday evening and I was told I was fired early Wednesday morning,” Tolkov wrote on his blog.
And he continued, “The caller may have been upset by Prigogine’s statements, but they couldn’t do anything about him, so they decided to exclude the announcer.”
Dolkov said the “Delica Online” project is funded by the Internet Development Institute, an online Kremlin propaganda project.
In contrast, Tolko’s boss denied firing the Russian blogger, saying he planned to leave “long before the interview with Prigozhin.”
Teleca Online said in a statement: “We understand that noise always affects the audience better than any balanced situation. But the dismissal of our Honorable Konstantin is not as immediate as he claims.”
The channel accused Tolkov of advertising itself to show the video, which the Russian blogger denied and described as “false”.
According to the Washington Post, the affair highlights a broader battle being waged by Prigozhin and his media allies as they compete with the Russian Defense Ministry over influence and role in the Ukraine war.
“Wagner’s mercenary” leader’s fight with Russian army.. “Treason” started from Syria.
The growing conflict between Wagner’s owner and the top military leadership marks Russia’s first major rift since the invasion of Ukraine began a year ago, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Putin’s chef has repeatedly complained that federally controlled television channels have covered up the Wagner Group’s activities, breaking away from fake reports praising the military prowess of Russian mercenaries last year.
On Thursday, Prigozhin said in an audio recording provided by his press service that he was supporting the Russian blogger after the interview was subsequently fired.
And, “You are fools if you think you are serving the authorities. In fact you are harming them. There is a war going on and you have to think how to save the country.”
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