Vladimir Putin's rule.

Mr Putin trusted Prigozhin enough to celebrate his birthday on New Island in

2003.

Years later, Prigozhin's catering company Concord was contracted to supply food
to the Kremlin, earning him the nickname "Putin's chef". Firms affiliated with
Prigozhin also won lucrative catering contracts from the military and state-run
schools.

Wagner
But it was after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2014 that signs began to emerge
that Prigozhin was no ordinary businessman. A shadowy private military company
said to be linked to him was first reported to be fighting Ukrainian forces in the
eastern Donbas region.

The Briefing Room: Who's Afraid of The Wagner Group?

It is commonly known as Wagner - after the call sign used by one of its key early
commanders. He was reportedly fascinated by Nazi Germany, which appropriated
the 19th Century composer's works for propaganda.

Ironically, "de-Nazification" of Ukraine is a key declared objective of President

Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine launched in February 2022.