Russian Politician Defies Putin in Expletive-Filled Rant

A Russian political candidate has paid tribute to Yevgeny Prigozhin and said the killing of the mercenary leader should motivate Moscow’s forces fighting in Ukraine.

Igor Zuev, who is standing for deputy in the Irkutsk legislature in Russia’s Siberia region, gave an expletive-filled speech in front of a government building in the city, where he lamented the death of the Wagner group leader two months after his mutiny against Vladimir Putin.

Russian investigators have said that Prigozhin was among the passengers killed after a plane he was in with other Wagner leaders crashed during a flight between Moscow and St. Petersburg on August 23.

The Kremlin has denied responsibility for his death but Prigozhin was believed to be on borrowed time following his challenge to Putin’s authority in a march on Moscow on June 24.

In the clip shared by independent Russian media outlets Sirena and Insider, Zuev did not mention Putin but referred to Prigozhin and Wagner, whom Putin had previously denounced as traitors.

The presence of children in the background did not seem to tame the language used by Zuev who addressed a crowd in khaki fatigues with a distinctive Z on his shoulder which has become the symbol of Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Zuev said, “I want to say that what happened on the 24th” following “the death of your commanders” meant that “all the participants in the special military operation were just angry,” about what had happened.

He said that Ukrainians were “rejoicing” at Prigozhin’s death and that Russia’s enemies were “b**** who will be washed away in f****** blood.” This should spur Russian forces to “f****** finish off this f****** enemy,” and “chase away the NATO soldiers who are fighting us there.”

“They have beaten them and they will beat them,” said Zuev, who, according to the news outlet Sirena, had volunteered to fight in the war in Ukraine in August 2022 but got wounded.

Sirena reported that he had stood for office before, with unsuccessful attempts to get into Irkutsk’s city parliament (Duma) in 2014, the legislative assembly in 2018, and the State Duma in 2021. He is standing in regional elections which take place on September 10.

Zuev was speaking at an event on Saturday to mark those killed in Ukraine. The vice speaker of Irkutsk’s legislative assembly, Larisa Yegorova, also praised Prigozhin’s mercenary group, which has played a key role in Ukraine.

“Everyone who is present here will always remember what the Wagner group has done, is doing, and will do. We are proud that we live with you on the same land and breathe the same air with you. Our world is protected by people like you,” she said, according to local news outlet Lyudi Baikala (People of Baikal).

Following Prigozhin’s death, many unanswered questions remain over what will happen to the Wagner group he founded which is the Kremlin’s foothold in Africa.

“There is no doubt there will be a big shake-up of the Wagner group,” said Khatuna Mshvidobadze, a professorial lecturer of cyber security at the George Washington University. “Either the group will be broken up completely, or, more likely, absorbed by or distributed among some other mercenary groups such as Redut and Convoy.”

“These groups are funded by Russian oligarchs and controlled by the GRU,” she told Newsweek, referring to Russia’s foreign military intelligence agency. “Both groups have been trying to recruit Wagnerites in the wake of mutiny.”