Despite Controversially Murdering Alexei Navalny And Yevgeny Prigozhin- Putin Wins With Landslide
Putin has officially won Russian presidential election after season of high profile assassinations of oppositions. The Russian strong man was broadly accused of killing his major political rivals Alexei Navalny and military ally turned enemy Yevgeny Prigozhin.
The first on the line in the build up to the election was Yevgeny Prigozhin who had a fallout with Putin’s military leaders and staged a half-baked coup to topple Russian military authorities. The second was Alexie Navalny who wanted a change in Russia.
It was thought the high profile killings would affect Russia or spur oppositions within the military and political arena to act against Putin, but he managed to keep everything under his control and emerged winner in a predetermined national election.
What Happened To Yevgeny Prigozhin:
Prigozhin became Putin’s military ally after establishing himself as a private military contractor. The once chef and ex-convict endeared himself to Putin and did the ugly military businesses outside of Russian for Putin.
Prigozhin was a key ally of Russian interest, and places Russian Army couldn’t go, or places international laws prohibited Russia, Prigozhin’s Army is substituted for Russian Army. It was a technical blow to the world order, and a means of evading international law for Putin.
Prigozhin captured African States for Russia and solidified Russian military interests in places standard Russian Army couldn’t go. Putin often denied that Prigozhin works directly for Russian Military or part of Russian Army. The claim is to deflect international legal responsibility off Russia. Putin remarkably funds Prigozhin and uses his soldiers to carry out military missions across the globe.
After declaring invasion of Ukraine, Putin mandated Prigozhin and his soldiers to fight on behalf of Russian Army. Prigozhin was thrown into the battlefield, but discrepancies existed between Prigozhin and some Russian regular army commanders.
Prigozhin soon accused some Russian commanders of bombing his soldiers in war front. The issue that began as a complain soon spiralled out of control and Prigozhin left the battlefield with his soldiers and forcefully took over Rostov, from where they marched to Moscow to take on the military commanders that ordered the bombing of his soldiers at war front.
Death Of Prigozhin:
The march to Moscow was aborted after Moscow allies pleaded to Prigozhin to abort the mission. He agreed to abort it on the ground he didn’t want bloodshed of Russians. Putin refused to see Prigozhin eye to eye and had spoken of “a stab at the back”. After some weeks, Prigozhin was mysteriously murdered in a plane crash, following the same path those that opposed Putin followed.
Navalny Case.
Unlike Prigozhin, Navalny is a political opponent of Putin. A lawyer turned a journalist, before deciding to become an opposition icon. Alexei Navalny established himself but came under assassination attempt.
He survived the first assassination that took him to Germany for treatment. It was later confirmed that the notorious Novichok nerve agent poisoned him. After his treatment in Germany, he was given unrealistic date to come back and face his legal battle in Russia, which he failed to meet up on the basis he needed time for his health.
His Comeback To Russia.
He finally came back to Russia and was arrested. Charges were brought up against him. He was later sentenced and taken to Arctic prison in his last days. Later, he was mysteriously pronounced dead, after the prison authorities said he collapsed while on a walk and could not be revived afterwards.
Putin’s Victory.
Despite the high profile murders, Putin won remarkably in the election that was considered a formality. The Russian strong man has caged everyone in Russia and turned the once democracy to autocracy, where oppositions are murdered and elections held under fear.
His resounding victory has further cemented his grip on Russia and oppositions coiled back in their shells.
