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The Wall Street Journal reports that Pavel Prigozhin retained control of Wagner fighters in the Central African Republic after his father’s death and expanded the family’s commercial interests. Its report describes ties to the CAR government and activities spanning security, gold, drugs, weapons and media; the allegations and financial estimates have not been independently verified in the supplied material.
Pavel Prigozhin has retained control of Wagner fighters in the Central African Republic (CAR) and expanded the family’s business there since his father, Yevgeny Prigozhin, died, according to a Wall Street Journal report summarized by Meduza on October 19, 2026. The account describes a continuing role for the Russian mercenary network in the country despite Moscow’s efforts to bring Wagner’s overseas operations under state control.
The Journal reported that about 500 Wagner fighters are based in the capital, Bangui. They reportedly guard President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, fight rebel groups and take part in commercial activity. The newspaper said Touadéra asked the Kremlin not to replace Wagner personnel with troops from Russia’s Defense Ministry, and that the fighters were incorporated into CAR police, military and intelligence units.
The report also described a broad business portfolio. It said Pavel Prigozhin controls the country’s largest gold deposit, which generates an estimated $250 million a year, and that local authorities help export gold labeled as government property. Shipments in the three months before the report reportedly passed through Belarus. The Journal also attributed to Wagner-linked interests involvement in tramadol sales, weapons sales to armed groups in Sudan and Libya, and local vodka and beer production.
The newspaper reported that the Wagner network operates radio stations that promote Russia, praise Touadéra and criticize Western countries. It placed Pavel Prigozhin’s residence in St. Petersburg, with regular visits to Bangui, where he reportedly stays at the Ledger Plaza hotel. Meduza’s summary says the hotel functions as a Wagner headquarters and is guarded by armed fighters.
Wagner’s Role in CAR
The report suggests that Wagner’s position in the CAR may have survived the death of its founder and Moscow’s effort to reorganize the group’s overseas operations. If the account is accurate, the network remains relevant not only to the country’s security but also to access to valuable resources and commercial routes.
That combination matters to the CAR government, Russia and outside observers: armed personnel, state institutions and private business are described as closely connected. The reported gold revenue and alleged trafficking activities also raise questions about who benefits from the country’s mineral wealth and how its exports are monitored. The Journal’s figures and descriptions should be treated as reported claims, rather than independently established findings.
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After Prigozhin’s Death
Yevgeny Prigozhin died in August 2023. After his death, Russian authorities took control of the Wagner Group and established the Defense Ministry’s Africa Corps, which was intended to take command of Wagner fighters operating in Africa, according to Meduza’s account of the Journal report.
Pavel, then 25, inherited his father’s estate, valued at 12 billion rubles, the report said. The elder Prigozhin was also survived by his wife, two daughters and mother. Meduza noted that Port, citing an unnamed source, reported a family dispute over Pavel’s alleged reluctance to share the inheritance. That separate claim has not been confirmed in the supplied material and is not evidence about the CAR operations themselves.
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime estimated that the Prigozhin family earns more than $400 million annually, according to the Journal as summarized by Meduza. The figure is an estimate attributed to the organization; the available account does not provide its calculation or a breakdown of the revenue.
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Claims Still Need Verification
The supplied account relies on the Journal’s reporting and does not include responses from Pavel Prigozhin, the Kremlin, the CAR government or the Africa Corps. It is unclear whether the reported 500-fighter count is a current headcount, how much authority Pavel exercises over those personnel, or whether their status has been formally agreed with Russian officials.
The allegations about gold exports, drug and weapons sales, and Wagner’s control of commercial interests are not independently substantiated in the source material provided. The reported revenue estimates also lack detailed accounting here. The timing and scale of any shipments through Belarus, and the nature of any agreement between Pavel Prigozhin and the Kremlin, remain unclear.
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Questions for Follow-Up
Further reporting or statements from the people and governments named could clarify the size and command structure of Wagner-linked forces in the CAR, as well as the extent of their integration into state security services. Confirmation from customs, mining or financial records could also help establish how gold shipments are labeled and where proceeds go.
For now, the account presents a picture of a Wagner network that may have retained significant influence in the CAR after its founder’s death, but the full scale of Pavel Prigozhin’s authority and business interests remains unverified in the material available.
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Key Questions
What does the report say Pavel Prigozhin has done?
The Wall Street Journal reports that he retained control of Wagner fighters in the Central African Republic and expanded the family’s business interests there after his father’s death.
How many Wagner fighters are reportedly in the CAR?
The Journal reported that about 500 fighters are based in Bangui. The supplied account does not establish whether that is a verified or current headcount.
What businesses are linked to the network in the report?
The report describes gold mining and exports, tramadol sales, weapons sales to armed groups in Sudan and Libya, and vodka and beer production. These are claims attributed to the Journal’s reporting, not independently verified facts in the material provided.
What happened to Wagner after Yevgeny Prigozhin died?
According to Meduza’s summary, Russian authorities took control of Wagner and created the Defense Ministry’s Africa Corps to take command of its African operations. The Journal reports that Pavel Prigozhin nevertheless retained influence over Wagner fighters in the CAR.
Source: rss
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