Mercenary chief Prigoschin is becoming more and more powerful – but his enemies are lurking

Berlin On the facade of a recently completed, gray office complex in the unattractive east of St. Petersburg, the operator’s nameplate appeared in large white letters: “ChVK Wagner Center”, followed by a large, rune-like W at the end of the logo.

The notorious mercenary army of billionaire and Putin confidante Yevgeny Prigozhin now has its official headquarters. It is not establishing itself just anywhere, but in Russia’s northern capital, as the metropolis on the Neva is also called.

This is not a building, but a challenge, commented the Internet platform “Fontanka.ru” on the opening. The members of Prigozhin’s terrorist militia “Wagner” are accused of atrocities in numerous countries. In many places where autocrats are clinging to power with military force, Prigozhin’s mercenaries are not far away.