Gold bars, weapons and wigs were found during a search of Prigozhin's house

Russian media published photos on Wednesday evening of a search operation in the home of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, in St. Petersburg during an attempted rebellion in late June.

The photos, taken by security forces and suddenly released in several Russian official and private media outlets, show a vast and luxurious home with a helicopter parked in its garden.

Investigators discovered during the search, as the photos revealed, bundles of dollars and rubles, gold bars, numerous weapons, and several passports with different names, as well as a cabinet containing a wig.

The St. Petersburg-based Fontanka website reported that a picture of "severed heads" was found in Prigozhin's house, amid ongoing allegations of his mercenaries committing violations.

The website also published a picture showing a giant hammer located in a room in Prigozhin's house, with the words "in case of important negotiations" written on its metallic head.

The "hammer" is one of the symbols of the Wagner Group, which takes pride in its use to brutally kill or torture its enemies.

The Wagner rebellion shook Russian authority on June 24 amidst the conflict in Ukraine. Over several hours, Wagner fighters occupied the Russian Army's headquarters in Rostov in southwestern Russia and advanced hundreds of kilometers towards Moscow.

The rebellion ended on the evening of June 24 with an agreement stipulating Prigozhin's move to Belarus, but his whereabouts remained unknown. He has not made any public statements since June 26.

Since the rebellion, Russian official media have portrayed Prigozhin as a greedy businessman who lost his mind after amassing a fortune thanks to the lucrative contracts he had signed with the state over the years.

No punishment has been announced for the rebels, but the future of Prigozhin's companies and his media empire, as well as his attempts to influence both Russia and abroad, particularly in Africa, remains uncertain.

 

AFP