"Poisoning Attempt Possible with Novichok"
Prigozhin-Owned Russian Media Outlet Also Shut Down
Russian President Vladimir Putin is reported to have issued an assassination order against Yevgeny Prigozhin, the failed leader of the Wagner Group who led a military rebellion, drawing attention to the background of the situation. Following Putin's recent efforts to identify and purge sympathizers of the rebellion within the Russian military, his direct move to eliminate Prigozhin has led to forecasts that political instability in Russia will be difficult to settle in the short term.
On the 2nd (local time), according to CNN, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Agency, said in an interview with the American online media The War Zone, "Putin has ordered the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) to assassinate Prigozhin," adding, "It will take time for the FSB to plan and execute the assassination, and whether the mission succeeds will become clear over time."
Within Russia, there are also analyses suggesting that President Putin is planning to poison Prigozhin. The Moscow Times, citing a senior Russian source, reported that "Prigozhin will eventually be poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok," indicating that Russian authorities are planning his assassination.
Novichok is a powerful biochemical weapon developed by Russia, used for poisoning. In 2020, Alexei Navalny, a Russian opposition leader who opposed Putin's regime and led anti-Putin protests, was poisoned with Novichok and hospitalized in a German hospital.
Companies and media outlets led by Prigozhin have also begun to be extensively investigated or shut down. According to Voice of America (VOA), Yevgeny Zubarev, director of Patriot Media, a Russian media outlet operated by Prigozhin, posted on his social media account that "Russian media companies owned by Prigozhin will be closed."
Earlier, on the 27th of last month, President Putin directly targeted 'Concord Catering,' Russia's largest catering company operated by Prigozhin, stating, "The owner of Concord earned 80 billion rubles (about 1.223 trillion won) annually by supplying food and catering services to the military," and announced a broad investigation to determine whether any embezzlement occurred.
Investigations and purges of military officials involved in Prigozhin's military rebellion are also underway. On the 28th of last month, the Moscow Times, citing multiple anonymous Russian Defense Ministry officials, reported that "General Surovikin was arrested on charges of involvement in the Wagner military rebellion." According to some sources, General Surovikin sided with Prigozhin during the rebellion period, the Moscow Times added.
There are also opinions that the political burden of suddenly removing Prigozhin, who achieved results in the Ukraine war, is significant, so the confusion caused by the military rebellion may continue for some time. Chef Paintuchi, an analyst at the security company Global Guardian, told CNN in an interview, "If Prigozhin is removed immediately, there is a possibility of backlash from extreme nationalists," adding, "When a situation arises where their backlash does not escalate, Putin will be able to find the right moment to eliminate Prigozhin."
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