"Wagner's actual leader" appeared publicly after nearly 7 years, with Prigo serving as the man behind him. Belarus | Wagner | Prigo

On July 19th local time, multiple social media outlets related to the Wagner Mercenary Corps simultaneously released videos of a speech by Prigoren in Belarus, which is said to be his first public appearance after the Wagner Rebellion.

But what is more noteworthy is that Dmitry Utkin, Wagner's "namer" and co-founder, also made a rare appearance on screen. It is reported that the mysterious figure known as the "actual leader of the Wagner Mercenary Corps" by the European Union was last discovered in public at a reception in the Kremlin in December 2016.

Prigoren claimed that:

Train the Belarusian army to become the "world's second army"

On July 19th, Wagner released a dimly lit video, which Prigoren himself later shared.

In a 6-minute video, Prigoren welcomed the Wagner members to Belarus and thanked them for their glorious battles and contributions to Russia. He then said that Wagner did not need to participate in the Russia-Ukraine conflict at present. "We need to wait for the opportunity to fully prove ourselves. Therefore, Wagner will temporarily stay in Belarus.". During this period, Wagner will train the Belarusian army to become the "world's second army" and "if necessary, we will defend them.".

At the same time, Prigoren also urged Wagner members to "be prepared and improve their skills", stating that new actions will be taken in Africa in the future. In addition, if we are not forced to humiliate ourselves and our strength, we may return to the battlefield of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

This is Prigo's first public appearance since June 25th. The video seems to have been filmed at Wagner's new headquarters near Osipovich, Belarus, with military tents visible in the background.

Prigoren also handed over the flag of the Wagner Group from the Morkino base in the presence of Wagner members. Previously, Wagner released a video on the 17th stating that "Wagner's Morkino training base in Krasnodar Krai will officially close on July 30th." Several soldiers lowered the Russian flag and Wagner Group flag at the base.

Just a day ago, Prigoren announced that the Wagner Mercenary Corps would continue its activities in Africa. He acknowledged in his comments to African media on Tuesday that some assets have been sold, but denied that Wagner is relinquishing control of the region. "There will be no and no reduction in the projects in Africa," said Prigoren. "There is no doubt that we will continue to operate in all countries where work has already begun and continues."

At the time of the release of this video, thousands of Wagner members have officially relocated to Belarus.

The low-key and mysterious Utkin:

Born in Ukraine, previously worked for the Russian Military Intelligence Agency

What is even more noteworthy is that in the latest video, Prigoren subsequently recommended "Commander" and "the person who gave the name" Wagner ". Wagner later claimed on his social media that this person was the commander of the Wagner Group, Dmitry Utkin.

Utkin was warmly welcomed by the members present, and he expressed gratitude to the mercenaries gathered together for making the name "Wagner" famous worldwide. "This is not the end, but the beginning of the greatest work," Utkin said. Then he said in English, "Welcome to hell."

It is reported that this is the first time Utterkin has appeared in front of the camera since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Despite being long regarded by the outside world as one of Wagner's direct and public leaders, Utkin was very low-key and had few exposures. However, from the fact that the name Wagner comes from his personal code name, it can be seen that Utkin plays an important role in this organization.

Utkin's low profile and mystery are also reflected in his lack of any official resume, however, multiple Western institutions and Russian media have delved into his life over the years.

Utkin was born on June 11, 1970 in the Kirovohrad Oblast of Ukraine. After graduating from high school, Utkin left the area and went to St. Petersburg to enter a military academy, the Leningrad Higher Combined Forces Command School named after Kirov.

In the 1980s, Utkin joined the Russian Military Intelligence Agency after graduation. In 2016, his ex-wife Elena Shelbinina revealed in an interview with Russian media that he had participated in the Chechen War twice. In January 2021, a copy of an old newspaper with a photo of Utkin appeared on social media. In August 1999, Utkin appeared as a captain in a report about repelling a Chechen attack.

Since 2002, Dmitry Valeyevich Utkin has been listed in the Unified Register of Legal Entities of the Russian Federation as the Commander of the 700th Independent Task Force of the 2nd Independent Brigade of the Gruu Special Forces.

In 2012, after retiring, Utkin joined the private military company Moran Security Group, which was founded by Russian veterans and operates security and training businesses around the world, specializing in anti piracy security work.

In the same year, the Moran Security Group participated in the establishment of a private military company called the Slavic Legion in St. Petersburg, which advertised online in search of mercenaries to "protect Syria's oil fields and pipelines.". Utkin was responsible for commanding a platoon of the Slavic Legion's subsequent operations in Syria. The legion had a fierce battle with ISIS in Syria and was subsequently withdrawn to Russia in October 2013.

Russian media reported that from the end of 2013 to the beginning of 2014, Utkin met Prigoren through unknown channels. In May 2014, a new private military company based on the "Slavic Legion" emerged, named after the call sign "Wagner" of Utkin's troops in Gruu.

On December 9, 2016, Utkin was photographed at a reception held in the Kremlin, where he was awarded the Medal of Honor as a "Russian Hero". In 2017, Russian media released photos of Utkin and several Wagner commanders with Russian President Putin. It is reported that this is also the last time Utkin was photographed and made a public appearance.

Wagner's Soul Figures:

"The man behind Prigo Ren"

Although in the eyes of the outside world, Prigo is still the controller of Wagner, in fact, Utkin is the soul figure of Wagner. Professor Dani Bellow from the Norman Patterson School of International Affairs at Carlton University pointed out, "He is the man who really got Wagner running behind the scenes. Prigorn cannot provide practical combat and tactical aspects."

The EU also listed Utkin as the "actual leader of the Wagner mercenary group" in its sanctions against the Wagner group, while Prigoren was simply described as a "financier".

However, Utkin himself seems to prefer to operate in the dark and rarely appears in public. In 2022, after publicly acknowledging his relationship with Wagner, Prigoren became very active on social media and became the spokesperson for Wagner Group. But behind the scenes, he still heavily relies on Utkin.

At present, the role played by Utkin in the Wagner rebellion is still unknown, but there have been reports that he led 5000 Wagner soldiers on a tank to Moscow that day. Jason Blazakis, a senior researcher at the Sufan Center, believes that as one of Prigorn's most trusted and capable loyalists, he "definitely played a role.".

After the rebellion, Utkin never publicly appeared. Until this week, he appeared and claimed that Wagner was the world's most powerful private army.

Several analysts have pointed out that with Prigoren and Wagner being sent to Belarus, Utkin is crucial to the survival of this mercenary.

Dorsey, Deputy Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said that Prigoren had to rely on Utkin to maintain control over Wagner. "Utkin will play an important role in supporting various parts of the Wagner Group, enabling it to continue to be under the control of Prigoren. He must maintain Wagner members' loyalty to Prigoren and assure partners around the world that nothing has changed."

Blazakis also pointed out that if the Wagner Group wants to maintain its influence, especially in overseas deployments, Prigoren needs Utkin. Now that Utkin is meeting with Prigo in Belarus, it is undoubtedly sending such a signal.