Russia condones extreme violence as long as its interests are served

Putin has unleashed private armies on Ukraine – and a man who could become a dangerous rival

Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin co-founded the Wagner Group along with former Russian military personnel in 2014 , and has since become a major player in Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. Picture: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images

The rise of Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch, Putin confidant, and head of the notorious Wagner private military company, is a sign of the erosion of the rule of law in Russia.

It shows that the state is willing to tolerate extreme, unaccountable violence as long as it serves its interests. This could ultimately become a threat to the regime itself.