INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin-linked businessman and founder of the notorious Wagner Group, a shadowy mercenary organization, has upped the
ante in his long-running spat with St
Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov by requesting the Russian authorities investigate the politician for high treason
and enriching the corrupt officials in his circle."Prigozhin has in the past accused Beglov on more than one occasion of promoting
"Ukrainian nationalist" interests in Moscow's military campaign against Kyiv, prompting officials in St
Petersburg to declare in a September post on Telegram that the city administration had assisted Russian forces in Ukraine "in every possible
way."The feud between Beglov and Prigozhin reportedly stems from Beglov's decision to terminate a number of lucrative contracts awarded to
Prigozhin in 2021 for large state-funded projects in Russia's second city
Prigozhin has seen his influence in Russia grow in recent months following his admission that he founded the Wagner Group after years spent
denying any connection to the murky mercenary organization
Last week, Prigozhin even admitted to interfering in U.S
elections after years of denials and launching defamation lawsuits against journalists who attempted to link him to so-called "troll farms,"
aimed at spreading targetted misinformation in an attempt to undermine faith in democracy around the world
Ukraine and his alleged calls for "urgent Stalinist repressions" within the ruling elite.
