Wagner PMC financier Prigozhin may use media influence to run for president - ISW

The owner of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, may use his influence on the media landscape in Russia to present himself as a candidate in the presidential election

This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

For example, Prigozhin's own news agency recently published an interview with him that visually copies various interviews with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Prior to this, Prigozhin's videos looked different - he chose shots in motion or those that resembled a battlefield.

"Prigozhin also used this interview to reiterate his previous arguments about the need to instill hardline ideology in Russian fighters and insinuate that the Russian Ministry of Defense is deliberately depriving the Wagner Group of artillery ammunition," ISW writes.

In addition, Prigozhin made a sarcastic announcement on March 11 that he will run for the presidency in 2024. Prior to that, Prigozhin had repeatedly attacked Putin's presidential administration, for example, claiming that some officials were traitors.