美国国家公共电台 NPR--The man behind the Wagner Group mercenaries fighting for Russia in Ukraine

The man behind the Wagner Group mercenaries fighting for Russia in Ukraine

Transcript¹

Yevgeny Prigozhin is the man behind a mercenary force fighting for Russia in Ukraine. NPR's Charles Maynes offers a portrait from Prigozhin's home town Saint Petersburg.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

In Russia's war on Ukraine, the mercenary Wagner Group has taken center stage, along with its founder², Yevgeny Prigozhin. Americans may remember Prigozhin as the mastermind behind Russian troll farms during the 2016 presidential elections. Russia's defense³ ministry⁴ knows him as their fiercest critic. Just yesterday, Prigozhin called them traitors⁵. From his home city of St. Petersburg, NPR's Charles Maynes has this profile of the man.

(SOUNDBITE OF TRAM PASSING)

CHARLES MAYNES, BYLINE⁶: In a gritty industrial district of St. Petersburg, a new glass office tower rises, the words Wagner Center emblazoned across its rooftop. It's a symbol of Wagner's growing business empire. And it turns out you can get a tour.

ANASTASIA VASIEVSKAYA: It's a huge building.

MAYNES: Our guide, Anastasia Vasievskaya.

VASIEVSKAYA: It's 23 floors.

MAYNES: The Wagner Center, still under construction, is conceived as office space to serve the state, she tells me.

VASIEVSKAYA: Mostly, we're interested in those who are patriotic⁸, you know?

MAYNES: There will be a free 24-hour media lab for patriotic bloggers to seed the internet - also seed money for Russian tech startups with potential military applications. And on the upper floors, luxury boardrooms with a view.

VASIEVSKAYA: We will not have offices here - maybe one or two, just for our - for big boss, not the big, big boss.

MAYNES: Can I ask about the big, big boss?

VASIEVSKAYA: No, I don't have any answers for that.

MAYNES: But the big, big boss isn't exactly a secret. After years of operating in the shadows, Wagner's founder, 61-year-old Yevgeny Prigozhin, now very much wants to be seen.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN: (Non-English language spoken).

MAYNES: This is video of Prigozhin at a prison colony in September personally recruiting Russian convicts to fight in Ukraine. Survive six months, promises Prigozhin, and you're a free man.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRIGOZHIN: (Non-English language spoken).

MAYNES: God and Allah can take you out of here in a casket, he says. I can get you out of here alive.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRIGOZHIN: (Non-English language spoken).

MAYNES: Or there's Prigozhin here, in the town of Soledar in east Ukraine this past January, where he says he's come to hand out medals to Wagner fighters after a hard fought victory.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRIGOZHIN: (Non-English language spoken).

MAYNES: They're probably the most experienced army in the entire world today, he says of Wagner, an army that, after years of denials, Prigozhin now acknowledges as his own. It's a mercenary force that has been linked to covert⁹ Kremlin military operations in Syria, Africa, Ukraine and beyond. The question is, why go public now? Longtime observers say the answer lies in Prigozhin's pursuit of power and influence.

DENIS KOROTKOV: (Non-English language spoken).

MAYNES: Denis Korotkov is a Russian investigative journalist who broke several of the early stories on Wagner's activities. That was in 2014. Back then, Prigozhin was better known as Putin's chef, a nickname he earned after building a restaurant and catering¹⁰ empire favored by the Kremlin from humble¹¹ beginnings as an ex-con operating a hot dog stand. But Korotkov discovered Prigozhin was also secretly recruiting Russians to fight along separatists in the Donbas - a private militia¹² he named after the 19th century German composer.

KOROTKOV: (Non-English language spoken).

MAYNES: It was with permission straight from the top, argued Korotkov, part of a Kremlin off-the-books effort to hide Russian meddling¹³ in Ukraine. Fast forward to today, and Korotkov has fled Russia out of concerns for his safety. But he says Wagner, now an army of some 50,000 men, is central to efforts to salvage¹⁴ Russia's current military campaign, and Prigozhin knows it.

KOROTKOV: (Through interpreter) The Russian army doesn't appear to have much incentive¹⁵ to fight. The people who enter Wagner are more motivated.

MAYNES: For months, Prigozhin has publicly criticized the Russian military's top brass¹⁶ as incompetent¹⁷ and out of touch. He's also feuded¹⁸ with them over who deserves credit for battlefield victories when they come.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRIGOZHIN: (Non-English language spoken).

MAYNES: This is Prigozhin claiming Wagner fighters were solely¹⁹ responsible for seizing territory near the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut earlier this month. Prigozhin presents Wagner ranks as the best of the best - better trained, equipped and paid than regular troops.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE BEST IN HELL")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character, non-English language spoken).

MAYNES: Prigozhin has even produced slick action films that mythologize Wagner heroics and sacrifice, even if real life is proven more complicated.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

VIKTOR LITOVKIN: (Non-English language spoken).

MAYNES: Viktor Litovkin, a military analyst²⁰ with the state-run TASS news agency, notes Wagner operates in a legal gray zone. Despite its now acknowledged role in the Kremlin war effort, Wagner, he says, is still formally an outlawed²¹ militia at home.

LITOVKIN: (Through interpreter) If the government allows Wagner to work and doesn't get in their way, it means the government approves. It approves, but it bears no responsibility because the men serving in Wagner aren't soldiers. The law doesn't apply to them.

MAYNES: Like Russia's military, Wagner has faced and denied allegations of war crimes in Ukraine. Undisputed is the group's practice of extrajudicial killings²² of its own fighters suspected of disloyalty.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Non-English language spoken).

MAYNES: In November, Wagner released video footage of the execution of one of its own members. Prigozhin has since embraced the executioner's tool, a sledgehammer, as a proud symbol of Wagner battlefield justice. All of this, the violence and the infighting with Russia's military, is happening on President Putin's watch. Whether because the Kremlin leader is allowing it or simply can't control it is a matter of debate. Either way, Prigozhin benefits from the ambiguity²³, says Alexandra Prokopenko, an independent analyst focused on Russian government policymaking.

ALEXANDRA PROKOPENKO: We don't know for sure how Putin thinks about Prigozhin. And Prigozhin knows that no one knows. That's his quasi-influence.

MAYNES: Many say Prigozhin's brutality²⁴ and bravado²⁵ is a prelude²⁶ for a push for personal power. Prokopenko argues Prigozhin is still fundamentally reliant on his personal ties to the Russian leader - a patronage²⁷, she notes, that could disappear at any moment.

PROKOPENKO: When the war will end - and this war definitely will end someday - he will become a liability.

MAYNES: For now, Prigozhin insists he's a simple patriot⁷ focused on the mission at hand and telling it like it is.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRIGOZHIN: (Non-English language spoken).

MAYNES: In a recent video interview with a pro-Kremlin military blogger, Prigozhin insisted he had zero political ambitions and hopes only to retreat with his mercenaries to a warm climate once the war is won. Yet Korotkov, the journalist, says Prigozhin's continued public role, perhaps even survival, given the powerful enemies he's made, depends on his army constantly proving itself on the battlefield, whatever the cost in lives.

KOROTKOV: (Non-English language spoken).

MAYNES: "If Wagner doesn't make significant achievements in Ukraine, Prigozhin's star will, of course, fall," says Korotkov. "And there will be plenty of people," he adds, "who would be happy to participate in burying him."

Charles Maynes, NPR News, St. Petersburg.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 traitors   

卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人

参考例句：

• Traitors are held in infamy. 叛徒为人所不齿。
• Traitors have always been treated with contempt. 叛徒永被人们唾弃。

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 patriot   

n.爱国者，爱国主义者

参考例句：

• He avowed himself a patriot.他自称自己是爱国者。
• He is a patriot who has won the admiration of the French already.他是一个已经赢得法国人敬仰的爱国者。

8 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

9 covert   

adj.隐藏的；暗地里的

参考例句：

• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。
• The army carried out covert surveillance of the building for several months.军队对这座建筑物进行了数月的秘密监视。

10 catering   

n. 给养

参考例句：

• Most of our work now involves catering for weddings. 我们现在的工作多半是承办婚宴。
• Who did the catering for your son's wedding? 你儿子的婚宴是由谁承办的？

11 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

12 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

13 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

14 salvage   

v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救

参考例句：

• All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed.抢救失事船只的一切努力都失败了。
• The salvage was piled upon the pier.抢救出的财产被堆放在码头上。

15 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

16 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

17 incompetent   

adj.无能力的，不能胜任的

参考例句：

• He is utterly incompetent at his job.他完全不能胜任他的工作。
• He is incompetent at working with his hands.他动手能力不行。

18 feuded   

vi.长期不和（feud的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He feuded with his ex-wife. 他和前妻积怨已久。 来自辞典例句
• The two tribes feuded with each other for generations. 这两个部族世代为敌。 来自辞典例句

19 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

20 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

21 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

22 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

23 ambiguity   

n.模棱两可；意义不明确

参考例句：

• The telegram was misunderstood because of its ambiguity.由于电文意义不明确而造成了误解。
• Her answer was above all ambiguity.她的回答毫不含糊。

24 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

25 bravado   

n.虚张声势，故作勇敢，逞能

参考例句：

• Their behaviour was just sheer bravado. 他们的行为完全是虚张声势。
• He flourished the weapon in an attempt at bravado. 他挥舞武器意在虚张声势。

26 prelude   

n.序言，前兆，序曲

参考例句：

• The prelude to the musical composition is very long.这首乐曲的序曲很长。
• The German invasion of Poland was a prelude to World War II.德国入侵波兰是第二次世界大战的序幕。

27 patronage   

n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场

参考例句：

• Though it was not yet noon,there was considerable patronage.虽然时间未到中午，店中已有许多顾客惠顾。
• I am sorry to say that my patronage ends with this.很抱歉，我的赞助只能到此为止。