The leader of a Russian mercenary group has Yevgeny Prigozhin who appeared to scoff at allegations of a plot to assassinate him, describing it as “a very good idea”.
Russian politician Vladimir Rogov claimed – without providing evidence – that Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the CIA director discussed the oligarch’s death.
Once nicknamed “Putin’s leader”, Prigozhin is the head of the Wagner group which recruits convicts to fight in Ukraine.
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Mr Rogov, chairman of a Russian organization in occupied Zaporizhzhia, told state media on Tuesday: “Prigozhin is effective, and killing him would make a lot of sense, given the media component and the way they spin their victories.
“Zelenskyy’s inner circle and a fairly large number of people are aware of this request to ask, and even demand, that the Americans kill Prigozhin.”
It comes after Mr Prigozhin clashed with his longtime ally Vladimir Putin over the capture of Soledar in Ukraine.
He claimed Wagner Group forces were solely responsible for capturing the city, while Mr Putin attributed the success to the Russian military.
Mr Prigozhin’s criticism of the Russian Defense Ministry has grown increasingly brazen in recent weeks, the Institute for the Study of War think tank noted.
Responding to allegations of an assassination plot on Tuesday, Mr Prigozhin was quoted by his press service as saying: “Yes, I know about it. The press service told me about it.
“It’s a very good idea. I agree that it’s time for Prigozhin to be eradicated.
“In the event that they ask me, I will certainly provide assistance.”
It comes as the Guardian reported that British lawyers had received a government waiver to circumvent sanctions to help Mr Prigozhin prosecute a journalist, according to documents made available to the Open Democracy website.
