What is happening in Russia right now with Putin and Wagner mercenary troops? Live updates (www.usatoday.com)

submitted 1 year ago by badbrainstorm@lemmy.ml to c/worldnews@lemmy.ml

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[-] thejml@lemm.ee 12 points 1 year ago

Prigozhin was born in the former Soviet Union and served ten years in prison when he was younger. After he was freed from jail, he ran a hot dog stand before becoming the owner of several fancy restaurants in Saint Petersburg. His restaurants brought Prigozhin into close contact with Putin.

I feel like we missed a few steps on the way there, but it’s still an interesting origin story.

[-] danieljackson@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin

Born to a poor ethnic Georgian family in the town of Gori [...], Stalin joined the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party [...] and raised funds for Vladimir Lenin's Bolshevik faction via robberies, kidnappings and protection rackets.

Local thugs raising to power in Russia/USSR is not a new thing.