Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Russian oligarch, popularly known as “Vladimir Putin’s chef,” reportedly appeared to admit to Russian interference in US elections via a Telegram post on Monday, just a day prior to the Midterm elections to be held in America

In response to a journalist’s question about rumors that Russia might interfere in the US congressional elections on November 8, Prigozhin replied, “I will answer you very subtly, and delicately and I apologize, I will allow a certain ambiguity. Gentlemen, we interfered, we interfere and we will interfere.”

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He added: “Carefully, precisely, surgically and in our own way, as we know how. During our pinpoint operations, we will remove both kidneys and the liver at once.”

His comments were made somewhat sarcastically so there is no way to tell if he was being serious or not. 

Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin?

Prigozhin is a close confidant of Russian President Putin and he earned his nickname because his restaurants and catering businesses are known to have hosted dinners that were attended by Putin and his foreign dignitaries.

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He was born in Saint Petersburg on June 1, 1961. In 1981, we went to prison for nine years for robbery, fraud, and involving teenagers in crime.  

He controls a number of companies including Wagner Group, which is a Russian state-backed mercenary group accused of war crimes in Africa, Syria, and Ukraine. 

He is wanted by the FBI in the conspiracy to defraud the United States. 

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According to the FBI website, “Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin is wanted by the FBI for his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to defraud the United States by impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful functions of the Federal Election Commission, the United States Department of Justice, and the United States Department of State.

He allegedly was the primary funder of the St. Petersburg-based Internet Research Agency (IRA), operating in Washington, D.C., from early 2014 to February 16, 2018, where he oversaw its political and electoral interference. 

The Prigozhin-led agency is said to have “purchased American computer server space, the creation of hundreds of fictitious online personas” and used “stolen identities of persons from the United States.” The purpose was to interfere with the 2016 Presidential Election.