Kremlin Rifts Appearing as Putin's Chef Sparks Anger With 'Wagner Line'—ISW

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is creating rifts within the Kremlin, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Prigozhin, who is nicknamed Putin's Chef, admitted in September to founding the Wagner Group, a notorious mercenary group that is fighting on Russia's side in Ukraine and has been accused by Western governments of human rights abuses in Africa and elsewhere.

In its latest assessment the ISW, a U.S.-based think tank, said Prigozhin was creating rifts in the Russian government "by publicizing the so-called 'Wagner line' of fortifications in northeastern Ukraine, which appears misaligned with Kremlin-led narratives on the course of the war."

According to the ISW, Prigozhin's proposed Wagner Line extension aims to defend the border between Belgorod Oblast and Ukraine's Sumy, Kharkiv, and Luhansk Oblasts, but "notably would not cover northern Luhansk Oblast up to the line of contact with the occupied territories, placing it at odds with Kremlin promises to defend all of the Luhansk region."

Other maps show the fortification line would only defend the part of Luhansk Oblast that was occupied by Russian proxy forces before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

"Prigozhin and Wagner commanders are likely preparing to defend the positions they think they can realistically hold, not the present extent of Russian lines or all of the territory the Kremlin claims to have annexed, and are likely not confident in Russia's ability to defend settlements north of Lysychansk such as Kreminna and Svatove," the ISW said.

Prigozhin and "Wagner-affiliated" Telegram channels said Russian officials had paused the extension of the fortifications that should have been run to Russia's Belgorod Oblast, which is on the border with Ukraine near Kharkiv, according to the ISW.

Prigozhin "accused the Russian bureaucracy—which he characterized as 'bureaucrat-enemies'—of 'directly opposing the interests of the population' and not protecting the Russian population by supporting the construction of the line," the assessment said.

The ISW noted that Prigozhin may be attempting to amplify the demands of the Russian nationalist community, who have repeatedly accused the Kremlin of failing to defend the Belgorod Oblast border.

"The Kremlin is likely attempting to maintain its limited framing of the war, which will likely continue to upset the nationalist community that is seemingly concerned by the lack of defenses around Belgorod Oblast," it added.

"Prigozhin and Wagner-affiliated Telegram channels previously indicated that there is an ongoing schism within the Kremlin's power circles between officials that are hesitant to continue the war due to personal interest and those in favor of Russian total victory."

In an intelligence update on Sunday, the British Defense Ministry said the project suggests Russia "is making a significant effort to prepare defences in depth behind the current front line, likely to deter any rapid Ukrainian counter offensives."

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment. Prigozhin could not be reached for comment.