His 25-year-old son is believed to be in control with the Wagner mercenaries and businesses in Russia and Africa.

Documents on social media suggest that Yevgeny Prigozhin's 25-year-old son, Pavel Prigozhin, is poised to inherit the majority of his father's wealth. Additionally, reports indicate that Pavel has assumed command of the Wagner Group, a private military organization in Russia.

These reports originate from the Telegram channel Port, with reference to Wagner-affiliated Telegram channels, but their authenticity can’t be verified by News-Cafe.eu. 

According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Pavel Prigozhin is currently engaged in negotiations with Rosgvardia, the Russian National Guard, regarding the potential involvement of the Wagner Group in combat operations in Ukraine. This development follows the absence of a clear leader for the Wagner mercenaries since the passing of Yevgeny Prigozhin.

More to read:
Prigozhin’s mutiny is just the first phase of power change in Russia

Supposed photographs of a document that is purported to be Yevgeny Prigozhin's will suggest that Pavel is designated as the sole inheritor of his father's assets, including his private militia. 

Senior Prigozhin accumulated his wealth primarily through catering contracts before establishing the Wagner Group in 2014, which played a key role in Russia's war in the neighboring country, particularly in the capture of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. 

The documents imply that Pavel Prigozhin is set to inherit the largest part of estates, land, shares in joint businesses and whole companies, as well as “terrestrial, seafaring and airborne” transportation means – all worth of at least 120 million dollars, although the figures vary depending on the source.

Photocopies of a supposed will left by Yevgeny Prigozhin.

These include the trading and real estate company Concord Management & Consulting, the propaganda farm Aurum, the real estate firm Ritm, the catering firms Concord Catering and Concord M, the real estate management company Oriental, as well as other names (Ambassador, Joint Investment Group, Neva, SK-D).

Wagner Group is a central piece of the late Prigozhin empire. After its closure in Russia, it was registered in Belarus, under the same name. The certificate says it deals with “other activities.”

Yet the most valuable asset is the debt of the Russian Defense Ministry to Prigozhin’s catering company Concord - minimum 80 billion rubles (some 790 million US dollars) for food ratios and various supplies. Some Russian war correspondents claim that this debt was the main reason for assassination of Yevgeny Prigozhin.

A mansion owned by the Prigozhin in St. Petersburg.

A part of the properties will be passed to Yevgeny Prigozhin’s widow Lyubov, who meanwhile has taken back her maiden name Knyazeva, his mother and Pavel’s two sisters.

Will the Wagners return to Ukraine?

Pavel Prigozhin has publicly acknowledged his acceptance of the inheritance and its terms, which reportedly include providing financial support to the family. He is also rumored to have accepted the command of the Wagner mercenaries and to be negotiating a return of his fighters to Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin instructed last week one of the top commanders of the Wagner military contractor to oversee "volunteer units" participating in the conflict in Ukraine, signaling the Kremlin's intent to continue utilizing mercenaries despite Yevgeny Prigozhin's passing.

In remarks released by the Kremlin, Putin told Andrey Troshev, a retired military officer who played a prominent role in the Wagner Group since its establishment in 2014, to focus on forming volunteer units capable of performing various combat tasks, primarily within the area designated as the "special military operation," a term Moscow employs for its involvement in the Ukrainian war.

By some Russian reports, Troshin (pictured above) was “appointed” by the dictator to assume the leadership in the Wagner Group. 

Yevgeny Prigozhin lost his life in an airplane crash on 23 August 2023, a month after he led an aborted mutiny against the Russian military. While Russian investigators have confirmed his demise – but offered no evidence, the cause of the crash remains undetermined, and President Vladimir Putin has vehemently denied any involvement.

More to read:
Police seize boxes with cash near Prigozhin’s St.Petersburg office

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