'Putin's Chef' May Pose Threat to President's Rule: ISW

A restaurant magnate dubbed "Putin's Chef" is setting up his own military to fight alongside Russia's army in Ukraine—but experts say the organization could "pose a threat to Putin's rule."

Yevgeny Prigozhin is sponsoring the formation of a volunteer battalion recruited by Russian war criminal and former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer Igor Girkin, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a U.S. defense and foreign affairs think tank.

Girkin, an ultra-nationalist, is described as "an avid critic of the Russian higher military command." He had reportedly wanted to form his own band of volunteers but had been unable to do so because of bureaucratic restrictions, while Prigozhin has enjoyed more power over his own notorious mercenary gang, known as the Wagner Group. Now it appears the two men are joining forces.

The ISW has been analyzing the Russian invasion of Ukraine since it began back in February. It released a lengthy report on Monday about the latest military wrangling and the possible power struggle that may be emerging inside the Kremlin.

"Prigozhin continues to accrue power and is setting up a military structure parallel to the Russian Armed Forces, which may come to pose a threat to Putin's rule—at least within the information space," ISW analysts wrote.

They went on to add: "[Russian] Milbloggers also noted that the Prigozhin-Girkin collaboration is likely making a large nationalist constituency accessible to Prigozhin in support of his maximalist goals for the war in Ukraine."

It means that Prigozhin is effectively building a "constituency" of supporters and his own fighting force that are not under the direct control of the Russian military or the Ministry of Defense.

The ISW report reads: "[Prigozhin] holds a uniquely advantageous position within the Russian state structure and information space that allows him to expand his constituency in Russia more readily than the disgraced Russian higher military command. Prigozhin can freely promote himself and his forces while criticizing Kremlin officials or the Russian Armed Force without fear of push back.

"Putin depends on Wagner forces in Bakhmut and is likely attempting to appease Prigozhin despite the fact that Prigozhin is undermining the conventional Russian military. Prigozhin, for example, sarcastically stated in an interview that he is constructing the 'Wagner Line' in an effort to make Russian Armed Forces that 'hide behind Wagner's backs' feel safe."

Prigozhin, who frequently criticizes the Russian military in interviews, is able to reach an audience through various Wagner-affiliated Telegram social media channels, which are inaccessible to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

And because Prigozhin holds no official position of responsibility, it means he is free to critique the authorities "without fear that anyone can point to something he was specifically responsible for that he failed to achieve," ISW added.

Earlier analysis by the organization over the weekend suggested that Prigozhin had already created rifts within the Kremlin by publicizing the so-called 'Wagner line' of fortifications in northeastern Ukraine, which appears misaligned with Kremlin-led narratives on the course of the war."

He also accused Russian "'bureaucrat-enemies' of 'directly opposing the interests of the population' and not protecting the Russian population by supporting the construction of the line," the report added.

Prigozhin has long been a notorious figure in the West. Back in March, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned him as part of measures against individuals accused of directly meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. He has denied the accusations.

"Putin's Chef" earned his nickname after establishing a restaurant empire having started out with a hot dog stand. He went on to become a close Putin ally despite spending nine years in a Soviet prison on a robbery charge. Prigozhin is known as the man Putin turns to for morally questionable tasks, according to The New York Times.

It has been claimed that Prigozhin controls Russian mercenaries in Syria, and was responsible for ordering them to work with pro-government Syrian forces to attack U.S. troops earlier this year.

Newsweek has reached out to Russia's Foreign Ministry and Ukraine's Ministry of Defense for comment.