Russia Ukraine war: Wagner chief calls for Russian defence minister's son-in-law to be raped

The boss of the feared Russian Wagner mercenary group has called for the Russian defence minister’s son-in-law to be raped or ‘given the sledgehammer’.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin threatened to have his men bring defence minister Sergei Shoigu’s son-in-law Alexey Stolyarov, 33, to him so he could be trained to go and fight in Ukraine.

Prigozhin said the fitness influencer could be ‘raped’ or face the notorious ‘sledgehammer’ execution that Wagner has used to kill defectors, as the bitter rift between Vladimir Putin’s top military cronies spirals out of control. 

The Wagner chief, like General Shoigu, is a close Putin crony, but the two men loathe each other.

Prigozhin demanded that Stolyarov – who avoided the military draft and is the partner of Shoigu’s 32-year-old daughter Ksenia Shoigu – should be trained for war.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin threatened to have his men bring defence minister Sergei Shoigu's son-in-law Alexey Stolyarov, 33, to him so he could be trained to go and fight in Ukraine

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin threatened to have his men bring defence minister Sergei Shoigu’s son-in-law Alexey Stolyarov, 33, to him so he could be trained to go and fight in Ukraine

Prigozhin demanded that Stolyarov (right) - who avoided the military draft and is the partner of Shoigu's (centre) 32-year-old daughter Ksenia Shoigu (left) - should be trained for war

Prigozhin demanded that Stolyarov (right) – who avoided the military draft and is the partner of Shoigu’s (centre) 32-year-old daughter Ksenia Shoigu (left) – should be trained for war

‘I can give instructions on what needs to be done – it is necessary to catch Stolyarov and bring him to me,’ said Prigozhin.

‘I will train him for six weeks. I will help him improve by sending him to combat operations. Before that he can be [raped].’

Prigozhin also ranted that ‘we ought to pick up a sledgehammer, and deal with it in an adult way, leaving humour aside’.

At least one convicted murderer Yevgeny Nuzhin, 55, was bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer for deserting Wagner’s frontline, and there are reports there have been more examples.

Prigozhin has raged against the defence minister – especially over the slow supply of ammunition and weapons to his forces, which are made up of volunteers and convicts released to fight for Putin. He has labelled such failings as treachery.

Prigozhin is thought to want General Shoigu to be fired amid rumours that he craves the defence minister’s job himself.

He has also attacked Ksenia Shoigu for enjoying holidays in Dubai while the war in Ukraine rages. She was also seen with Stolyarov on a Black Sea beach.

Meanwhile, Stolyarov was recently seen hiking in Africa, even though many men of his age have been forced by his father-in-law to fight and die in Ukraine.

At least one convicted murderer Yevgeny Nuzhin, 55, (pictured) was bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer for deserting Wagner's frontline, and there have been reports of other examples

At least one convicted murderer Yevgeny Nuzhin, 55, (pictured) was bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer for deserting Wagner’s frontline, and there have been reports of other examples

The influencer, who has 4.2million subscribers on YouTube, and three quarters of a million on Instagram, was hit by a wave of negative reactions to his African adventure.

Stolyarov claimed that he was being wrongly attacked by Prigozhin for ‘liking’ an opposition social media post that said: ‘It has been precisely a year since Putin and his entourage unleashed bloody and meaningless war.’

The YouTuber said he was also falsely accused of labelling a woman ‘Z-trash’ and telling her to go to the war.

‘I didn’t like anything, and didn’t write anything to anyone,’ Stolyarov said.

‘Please, have your own head on your shoulders, and don’t allow yourself to be manipulated with the help of Photoshop. Hugs to everyone.’

The attack by Prigozhin on Shoigu’s son-in-law is plainly aimed at hurting the defence minister.

Prigozhin, dubbed ‘Putin’s chef’ having once provided catering services to the Kremlin, accused Shoigu last week of starving his fighters in Ukraine of ammunition, which he said amounts to an attempt to ‘destroy’ the force.

Prigozhin said in a raised voice that Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov are handing out orders ‘left and right’ not to supply Wagner with ammunition or air transport. The company has been involved in heavy fighting in the east of Ukraine.

Prigozhin, dubbed 'Putin's chef' (pictured together) having once provided catering services to the Kremlin, accused Shoigu last week of starving his fighters in Ukraine of ammunition, which he said amounts to an attempt to 'destroy' the force

Prigozhin, dubbed ‘Putin’s chef’ (pictured together) having once provided catering services to the Kremlin, accused Shoigu last week of starving his fighters in Ukraine of ammunition, which he said amounts to an attempt to ‘destroy’ the force

This ‘can be likened to high treason in the very moment when Wagner is fighting for Bakhmut, losing hundreds of its fighters every day,’ Prigozhin said.

Millionaire Prigozhin and his fighters have claimed for weeks that the military doesn’t provide them with enough ammunition. Wagner’s push to take over Bakhmut, a city in Ukraine’s partially occupied eastern Donetsk region, has stalled and turned into a grinding battle.

Shoigu later released weapons and ammunition to Wagner after Prigozhin’s rant. 

Yet the episode shows the poisonous warring relationships among the commanders Putin relies on for military success.

source: dailymail.co.uk