Mercenary group Wagner head slams wealthy Russians for not helping with war

Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin and head of the Wagner Group of mercenaries, hit out at the country's oligarchs and other wealthy people in an interview broadcast on Sunday.

Prigozhin, who has rarely appeared in public in the past, advocated depriving the oligarchs of their wealth to compel them to support troops at the front in Ukraine.

"They are frightened. They like their comforts. They want to dive into a warm swimming pool in the evening and enjoy themselves," the 61-year-old financier told state television broadcaster RT.

"One has to realize at some point that one has to separate oneself from everything that one has, from the seductive world, the restaurants, spas, dachas, swimming pools," he said. "The sooner it's taken away from you, the better."

Prigozhin, who is also seen in the West as a Russian oligarch, has been hit with sanctions by Western governments for his role in supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine with his Wagner Group.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has him on its wanted list for interference in US elections.

Long a shadowy figure, Prigozhin has recently been seen recruiting Russian convicts for the war in Ukraine with the promise of amnesty. He has also been increasingly critical of the Russian military for its conduct of the war.

His appearance at the funeral of a Wagner combatant in St Petersburg on Saturday drew media attention, as he has previously avoided being shown on camera. The fallen soldier, a convicted criminal, was accorded a funeral in the military section of the cemetery after the authorities had initially been opposed.

Prigozhin described the man as "a true patriot" emphasizing that everyone at the front was equal. His appearance at the funeral has been seen as an attempt to boost his own standing in Russia.

The Wagner Group is reported to have been active in eastern Ukraine since 2014 and subsequently to have been involved in conflicts in Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic and Mali.

Accusations of involvement in war crimes have been levelled at the group. It has recently been at the forefront of the Russian assault on the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, according to analysis.