Will Wagner outlive its founder? Russian authorities have confirmed the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin and his number two in the downing of their private jet on a flight to his native Saint Petersburg. We ask about the downing of the plane on the two-month anniversary of his aborted march on Moscow and the thousands of irregulars on three continents who still answer to the private military company.
We also ask what the fall of a figurehead who long tried to offer plausible deniability for mercenary activity and troll farming says about the Kremlin's mindset and its options as the war in Ukraine enters a new phase. Does Putin still need Wagner-type outfits?
Part of the legacy of Prigozhin was on display in weekend demonstrations in Niger, where supporters of a recent coup waved Russian flags as they shouted slogans against former colonial power France. Who will now spin Moscow's message?
Prepared by François Picard, Juliette Laurain, Lauren Bain and Imen Mellaz.
