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Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the mercenary group, accuses the US of executing Yevgenny Nuzhin, who reportedly switched sides to affix Ukrainian forces.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the pinnacle of Russia’s mercenary Wagner group, has denied it had any involvement within the execution of considered one of its fighters in Ukraine.
Final week, a social media account linked to Wagner shared unverified footage of a person recognized as a former mercenary being killed after declaring that he had switched sides in September to “struggle towards the Russians”.
Within the footage, the person, who gave his title as Yevgeny Nuzhin, 55, was proven along with his head taped to a brick wall. He stated he was kidnapped in Kyiv on October 11 and got here round in a cellar.
“I bought hit over the pinnacle and misplaced consciousness and got here round on this cellar,” he stated. “They advised me I used to be to be tried.”
As he stated these phrases, an unidentified man in fight clothes behind Nuzhin was seen smashing a sledgehammer into the facet of his head and neck.
Nuzhin collapsed onto the ground and the unidentified man delivered one other blow to his head.
The video appeared on the Gray Zone Telegram channel, considered one of a number of that Russian media has stated was linked to the Wagner group. The footage was posted below the title, The hammer of revenge.
Requested to touch upon the execution video, Prigozhin stated on Sunday in remarks launched by his spokeswoman that the video needs to be known as, “A canine receives a canine’s dying” and labelled Nuzhin a “traitor”.
“Nuzhin betrayed his individuals, betrayed his comrades, betrayed consciously,” stated Prigozhin, who has been sanctioned by the USA and European Union for his function in Wagner.
However on Tuesday, the 61-year-old denied Wagner’s involvement and accused US intelligence companies of being behind the killing, with out offering proof to assist his declare.
“I requested Wagner workers whether or not they kidnapped Evgeny Nuzhin and in the event that they participated in his torture. None supplied data of taking part in his abduction or torture,” Prigozhin stated in a letter addressed to Igor Krasnov, Russia’s prosecutor common, and revealed on Russia’s VKontakte social media service.
“For me, it is vitally clear that Nuzhin was kidnapped and violently killed by brokers of the US intelligence companies,” he added, and known as for Krasnov to open an investigation into the killing.
The Russian rights group, Gulagu.web, which advocates for prisoners in Russian detention, has stated that Nuzhin was in jail in Russia earlier than being recruited by Wagner to struggle in Ukraine.
Prigozhin, a detailed ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been accused of personally taking part in a recruitment drive by providing contracts at Russian prisons, pledging that those that give up or are captured could be killed.
In September, he disclosed for the primary time that he had based the Wagner group in 2014.
Initially staffed by veterans of the Russian armed forces, Wagner’s mercenaries have fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic, Mali and Ukraine, amongst different nations, in recent times.
Earlier this month, the group opened its first official headquarters in Russia’s second metropolis of Saint Petersburg.
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