Washington has long accused Russia of meddling in US elections. Now Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin's confidant and head of the Wagner mercenary group, says: "We got involved, we're doing it and we will continue to do it."
Russian businessman and head of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has admitted to meddling in US elections and said he would continue to do so. "We interfered, we interfered and we will continue to interfere. Carefully, accurately, surgically and in our own way, since we know how to do it," Prigozhin wrote in a post on the online network VKontakte, the Russian equivalent of Facebook.
"During our pinpoint operations, we will remove both kidneys and the liver at once," he added, without clarifying the statement. Tuesday's midterm elections in the United States will elect a new Congress and dozens of governors, and fill thousands of other state and local political offices.
Prigozhin is also known as "Putin's cook". His catering company has several contracts with the Kremlin. For years he stayed in the background. Only recently has he become more public, among other things with criticism of Russian generals for their warfare in Ukraine.
In September he also admitted to being the founder of the Kremlin-affiliated Wagner troupe. For years, it has been suspected of working in secret for the Kremlin at various conflict sites. Moscow has always denied this and denied any connection to the mercenary group. Prigozhin's name is on the sanctions lists of the European Union, Great Britain and the USA. The 61-year-old is also accused of being behind a "troll factory" that tried to rig the 2016 US presidential election.
In July, the US State Department offered a reward of up to $10 million for information about Prigozhin related to alleged US election meddling. He is the first person to face such allegations and to admit influence.
