For years, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, the Wagner mercenary leader who conducted a brief rebellion against the Russian military, had been a loyal supporter of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
In recent months, he continued to steer clear of directly criticizing Mr. Putin, even as he increasingly used social media to lambaste Russia’s military, accusing its leaders of treason and blaming them for failing to provide his forces with enough resources.
Mr. Putin mobilized Russian troops to quell what he called an armed rebellion, and the Belarusian president, a Putin ally, negotiated a halt to the Wagner advance.
Here’s a look at Mr. Prigozhin’s history and some of the claims he has made:December 2016The United States imposed sanctions against 15 Russian entities, including Mr. Prigozhin, for their dealings in Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014, and in Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists seized territory the same year.
The Treasury Department targeted businesspeople who were associates of Mr. Putin or were involved in activities that aided in Russia’s destabilization of Ukraine.
Persons:
Yevgeny V, Wagner, Vladimir V, Putin, Putin’s, Prigozhin, Mr
Organizations:
Russian, Treasury Department, Russia’s
Locations:
Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Rostov, Moscow, Belarusian, United States, Crimea, Russia’s destabilization