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ChrisO_wiki Profile picture
@ChrisO_wiki
Jul 9, 2023 • 21 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X
1/ Yevgeny Prigozhin's wealth and wigs got a lot of attention last week, but his medal collection is much more significant. The 30 medals on his jacket show that he is one of the most highly decorated members of the Russian elite. Here's an analysis of what they indicate. ⬇️
2/ Like the Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Prigozhin is not and never has been a soldier. This has not stopped either of them amassing an impressive collection of medals. (See below for an analysis of Shoigu's 60 decorations.)
3/ Prigozhin's medals fall into three categories: awards from the Russian state, awards from the self-declared Luhansk and Donetsk 'People's Republics' (LNR/DNR), and awards from African states where the Wagner Group has been active.
4/ Starting with the awards on the top row of the left breast of his jacket, Prigozhin has a Gold Medal of the Hero of the Russian Federation and equivalent medals for the LNR and DNR. This is the highest award for all three states or entities.
5/ The Hero of the Russian Federation award was reportedly given by decree of President Putin on 22 June 2022. It entitles the bearer to a monthly stipend of 100,000 rubles ($1,096), tax exemption and free dental prosthetics.
6/ In row 2 are two Orders of Courage, awarded for courageous and decisive actions committed in the performance of military, civic or official duty in life-threatening conditions.
7/ Row 3 includes:

- Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class (civilian, without swords)
- Order of Alexander Nevsky
- Order of Military Merit
- Order of Friendship
- Medals of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" 1st and 2nd class
8/ Several of the awards recognise achievements in strengthening Russia's defence capabilities. They entitle Prigozhin to an increase in his state pension, free medical treatment, aid with housing and free public transport.
9/ The Order of Military Merit seems to have been awarded in violation of the eligibility criteria, however, as it's meant to be awarded to senior officers and civil servants – which Prigozhin is not – for achievements in military science and the defence industry.
10/ The Order of Friendship, perhaps ironically, is inscribed on the reverse with the words "PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP" – not values that Prigozhin is usually associated with.
11/ Row 4 includes:

- Medal for the Return of Crimea
- Medal "For Strengthening Military Cooperation"
- Medal "For Merits in Logistics"
- Medal "For Combat Excellence"
- Army General Khrulev Medal
- Medal of the 300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg;
- Unknown medal
12/ The Khrulev Medal is an curious award, as the Russian MOD seems to have broken its own rules to award it to Prigozhin. It's awarded to senior, high-ranking or long-serving military logistics officers – none of which describes Prigozhin.
13/ Similarly, the medal "For Combat Excellence" is supposed to only be awarded to servicemen. Not only has Prigozhin never been a soldier, the very existence of Wagner is in violation of Russian law, which forbids mercenary activity.
14/ The Medal of the Return of Crimea has an interesting history, as it was minted well before Russia took over the Crimean peninsula. Wagner was founded shortly after that event. It's not clear what role Prigozhin played in it.
15/ Row 5 comprises four foreign medals:

- Cross of Military Valour of the Central African Republic (CAR)
- Medal of the Order of Commercial Merit of the CAR
- Star of Military Merit of the CAR
- Unknown decoration
16/ The Order of Commercial Merit recognises individual contributions to the development of trade in the CAR, where Wagner runs mining and logging operations, provides security and customs services, and even produces vodka and beer locally.
17/ The two medals around the neck (row 6) are also from the CAR. They are:

- Order of Recognition of the CAR. The neck placement indicates the rank of Commander of the Order.
- Order of Trade Merit of the CAR.
18/ The final row (7) displays other African medals:

- Unknown award
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Stallion - National Order of Burkina Faso
- Order of the Two Niles (Sudan)
- Order of the Republic (Sudan)
- Unknown decoration
- Order of Courage (Libya)
19/ As notes, Prigozhin's large number of medals indicates his formerly exalted position in Vladimir Putin's inner circle. Only a few of Putin's top supporters have more or as many medals – Shoigu (60), Yakunin (40), Kadyrov (38), Patrushev (30). /endAgents.Media
Sources:
🔹
🔹 https://t.co/YYbdao3qhd
🔹 https://t.co/KH5QkDtfXMurfonews.ru/20230707/36815…
fontanka.ru/2023/07/08/724…
agents.media/prigozhin_nagr…
threadreaderapp.com/thread/1677989…

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More from @ChrisO_wiki

ChrisO_wiki Profile picture
Aug 30
1/ Russian warblogger Alexander Garmaev has published a photo showing what he says are two Ukrainian POWs tied together with sticky tape, with one of them being made to hold a primed hand grenade which will explode if either try to escape or if it is dropped. ⬇️ Image
2/ Garmaev writes:

"A waltz performed by two crests [derogatory term for Ukrainians]🤣

Only those who pay close attention will understand that this dance cannot be completed without fatal consequences🤣"
3/ The grenade – probably a Soviet-era RGD-5 – could be defused by someone else putting the pin back in, but it's unclear how this situation ended. It's consistent with a long-running pattern of abuse and murder of Ukrainian POWs by their Russian captors. /end
Read 4 tweets
ChrisO_wiki Profile picture
Aug 29
1/ As Russian refineries continue to explode on a virtually daily basis, Russian warbloggers are furious at their government's failure to protect vital infrastructure. They blame government incompetence and call for a drastic overhaul of air defences. ⬇️
2/ The success of the Ukrainian drone campaign is undermining morale at the front, writes 'Brothers in Arms', who complains: "Seriously, do you know what it looks like from the outside?"
3/ "We've been half-dead here for months, digging mud in the trenches, under drones every day, counting bullets, while back home, oil refineries are burning down in batches. Novoshakhtinsk has been completely burned down. Ust-Luga has also been hit pretty hard.
Read 27 tweets
ChrisO_wiki Profile picture
Aug 29
1/ A Russian soldier who was shot in the head miraculously survived when the bullet passed through his helmet, grazing him. He expresses dismay at how easily the bullet penetrated the helmet. Other soldiers and relatives say Russian army helmets can be "pierced by a nail". ⬇️
2/ The unidentified soldier shows his helmet after being struck by a bullet from a machine gun, which pierced right through, leaving entry and exit holes. He received a grazing wound on his forehead but was otherwise uninjured.
3/ "I've calmed down now," he says. "You see, it's not for nothing that the commander gave us vodka. Here it is, the exit, the entry, the exit. Holy shit!"

Russian soldiers and their relatives have complained previously of the low quality of army helmets.
Read 6 tweets
ChrisO_wiki Profile picture
Aug 29
1/ Russian refugees deported by the United States back to Russia have experienced intensive interrogation, threats, violence, and torture, according to Russian sources. Thousands of Russians have fled to the US to escape the war and political persecution by the Putin regime. ⬇️ Image
2/ On 27 August, 50 Russians were deported from the US to Russia, including dozens of asylum seekers. According to Dmitry Valuev, they comprised Russian citizens who were in immigration prisons in the United States, who had lost asylum cases or chose self-deportation.
3/ The Russian human rights activist Vladimir Osechkin reports:
Read 20 tweets
ChrisO_wiki Profile picture
Aug 28
1/ This needs unpacking a bit. Entry to the Schengen zone is recorded in the EU-wide Schengen Information System (SIS). Each Schengen country has a national SIS (N.SIS). They use it to identify persons of interest (such as wanted criminals or those with entry bans).
2/ Alerts include details like name, nationality, reason for the alert, and instructions for action (e.g., arrest, deny entry, or locate). They are uploaded to the central SIS database and instantly accessible to all member states.
3/ The alert type determines what action border control authorities take (e.g. detain or refuse entry). However, although they're binding in principle, this isn't always the case in practice. Each state can decide whether to enforce it based on their own laws or circumstances.
Read 7 tweets
ChrisO_wiki Profile picture
Aug 28
1/ Internet shutdowns and blocks on Telegram continue to cripple the coordination of Russia's air defences. Mobile fire teams are reported to be secretly using insecure Chinese radios instead, and despite the name aren't allowed to be mobile. ⬇️
2/ As previously reported, local officials frequently shut down mobile Internet access during drone raids to prevent Ukrainian drones using them for navigation. The Russian government has also recently blocked calls on Telegram and WhatsApp.
3/ The Nerybar Telegram channel complains:

"Any initiative can be ruined by a thoughtless approach to its implementation. I remember when the UAV raids began, a multitude of warning methods proliferated, including even special applications."
Read 16 tweets

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