Prigozhin's ghost could bury Vladimir Putin's regime

"The supposed founder of PMC "Wagner" Yevgeny Prigozhin rebelled against the Russian regime and quickly "fell". What happened to his family and loyal army and will it come back to haunt the president, asks the British newspaper The Times.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, once a fierce ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin who became known as "Putin's cook," took a stunning risk a year ago. As the leader of the band "Wagner" he led a coup that proved to be the most serious challenge to President Putin in his 23 years in power. Two months later, Prigozhin died, his plane crashed after two explosions.

But this is not the end of Prigogine's story. He left behind a family, vast wealth and a paramilitary empire that was actively involved in conflicts around Africa. His astonishing revolt and its aftermath also left a political legacy that continues to cast a shadow over Russia.

Although the head of PMC "Wagner“ Yevgeny Prigozhin is dead, his rebellion and then his quick death showed the whole world the fundamental weakness of Vladimir Putin's regime, writes The Times.

"Putin can break his word with outsiders, even flout international law with carelessness, but the plane crash was the first time he clearly broke his commitments. The elite in Russia, of course, obeyed. After all, from their point of view, he had simply killed Prigogine. But the feeling that Putin is no longer the Putin of previous years, who masterfully managed the system, is widespread - and will probably haunt him for many years to come," the publication wrote.

So Prigogine may still go down in history as "the man who kicked the pebble that eventually became the rock that buried Putin's regime,", writes the Times.