Ex-Army Leader Wants Wagner Leader Prigozhin Killed

Former Russian commander Igor Girkin called for the killing of Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin on Monday following his attempted rebellion against Russian leadership.

Prigozhin, the founder of the paramilitary unit that for months fought alongside Russian troops in the Ukraine war, attempted an armed uprising against Moscow over the weekend. The attempted rebellion was a culmination of growing tensions between Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the stagnating invasion of Ukraine. It lasted less than 24 hours before a deal was brokered to end the conflict and Wagner troops turned back on their path to the Russian capital.

The failed rebellion has now sparked questions about the future of Prigozhin, a one-time Kremlin ally whose troops were credited with holding off Ukrainian gains. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a deal that would require Prigozhin to leave for Belarus, with Russian authorities saying they would drop charges against him. However, Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported that the Federal Security Service (FSB) continues to investigate the Wagner Group founder.

However, criminal charges against Prigozhin would not go far enough for Girkin, a prominent Russian military blogger who rose to prominence for leading Russia's military during the 2014 annexation of Crimea. Last year, he was also found guilty of participating in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine.

In a Telegram post Monday morning, Girkin called for the government to execute Prigozhin.

"I don't think that all Wagner commanders and fighters deserve to be shot. But to hang 'Cook' for the rebellion and the murder of our officers is simply necessary for the preservation of Russia as a state," he wrote.

Prigozhin's fate remained unclear Monday amid conflicting reports from Russian media and remarks from leaders about whether or not he would be charged over the attempted uprising. Over the weekend, while Wagner fighters continued marching to Moscow, iStories reported that Putin requested his security forces to "eliminate" Prigozhin while offering amnesty to Wagner fighters.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment via email.

Meanwhile, Girkin continued to predict Prigozhin's next moves in a series of follow up posts.

He wrote that Prigozhin's fate depends on whether Putin gives the Wagner Group to the Russian defense ministry "to be devoured." If Prigozhin manages to maintain his organization, Girkin wrote that he will be able to convince people that he "defeated everyone" and could emerge as a challenger to Putin in Russia's next presidential election.

In addition, Girkin predicted a grim outlook for Prigozhin if he is unsuccessful in keeping his private military company (PMC).

"If not...Then for the life of Prigozhin I will not put a broken penny. Without his army and outside the political field, even Lukashenka does not need him at all, even as a "host". And Prigogine will not get a 'second chance.' And for the fear experienced, Moscow fat cats will try to take revenge," he wrote.