Internet searches show Russians are more interested in Wagner chief than Putin

Wagner’s mercenary chief, nicknamed “Putin’s chief,” has become more popular than the Russian president, according to recent Internet searches in Russia.

Russians seem more curious about former prisoner and oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin than their own leader Vladimir Putin.

Last month, as a feud between Prigozhin and Russia’s Defense Ministry continued to escalate in the public eye, Russians scoured the Internet twice as often for information on the Wagner chief.

According to a Google Trends search by Russian news outlet Verstka, Russians started searching more for Prigozhin in early May, peaking at the end of the months.

From May 28 to June 3, his popularity was at 100 points (the highest level), while Putin’s was significantly less at 28.

The popularity of the Russian despot seems to have taken a hit as the Russians instead spent more time searching for information on the Wagner boss

Russians searched for ‘Putin’s chief’ 744,000 times in May, while there were only 305,000 searches for ‘Vladimir Putin’.

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, tweeted about the findings: “Prigozhin’s conflict with the Russian Defense Ministry led to his growing popularity that now exceeds Putin’s.

“In May, Russians searched for information about Prigozhin online twice as often as news about Putin.”

Nicknamed Putin’s chef for owning a catering company that hosts lavish Kremlin banquets for the president, Prigozhin has become a prominent figure during Russia’s 16-month invasion of Ukraine.

His Wagner mercenaries are credited with capturing the embattled city of Bakhmut from Ukrainian forces after months of bloody warfare. But their success has seemingly angered mainstream Russian army commanders.

Prigozhin has repeatedly attacked Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for what he casts as treachery, berating him for failing to enter the war Ukraine properly and taunt him for coming to the front line.

Tensions with Moscow rose when mercenaries kidnapped a front-line Russian general this month, who admitted to being drunk on duty in a humiliating video after allegedly firing at a Wagner vehicle.

Prigozhin (center), nicknamed Putin’s chef for owning a catering company that hosts lavish Kremlin banquets for the president, has become a prominent figure during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

A video later emerged of the general, Roman Venevitin, accusing Wagner of torturing Putin’s soldiers and Prigozhin of discrediting the military – a crime for which he could be imprisoned.

Known for his swear words, Prigozhin has launched several verbal tirades against Putin’s military leaders in recent months.

In a furious run last month, Prigozhin shouted vulgar insults at the Russian military, describing them as “stinking bastards” and “b******.”

The Wagner boss said he was “deeply outraged” by Putin’s troops doing “f*** all” to prevent explosive drones from falling on Moscow.

‘Smelly bastards! What are you doing? Get out of the offices where you’ve been posted to protect this country,” he said.

“You are the Ministry of Defense. You’ve done f*** all to move on. Why the fuck are you flying these drones to Moscow? Who cares that they fly to your houses on Rublyovka! Let your houses burn.

More recently, he called it a “disgrace” that Kiev’s troops were able to push back Russian lines and take Berkhivka, a town on the northern outskirts of Bakhmut.

Today he reiterated his Wagner fighters’ refusal to sign contracts with the defense ministry, a day after Putin said the agreements were needed as Moscow moves to take control of the private group.

In a rare direct expression of defiance towards the Russian leader, Prigozhin said: “None of Wagner’s fighters are ready to walk the path of shame again. That’s why they don’t sign the contracts.’

At a televised rally on Tuesday, Putin supported a defense ministry call for “volunteer” fighters in Ukraine to sign contracts with the country’s military command, widely seen as a means of asserting control over Wagner.

Putin said contracts were needed to enable all participants in the Russian campaign in Ukraine to receive the social support they are entitled to. These include compensation for fighters if they are injured, and for their families if they are killed.

Prigozhin has criticized the Russian army for not doing enough to stop the ongoing Ukrainian counter-offensive, which has resulted in the recapture of seven villages in its initial stages.

He even seemed to praise Ukraine by admitting that they “did everything right” – in stark contrast to Putin’s claims that it had “failed”.