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A short thread on Yevgeniy Prigozhin (Of Internet Research Agency/PMC Wagner notoriety) and COVID-19 grifting in Russia, Sudan and Syria:
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Prigozhin-associated enterprises have taken advantage of the COVID-19 crisis to make a buck in Russia and to advertise a humanitarian mission in North Africa and the Middle East.
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Prigozhin's AVK won a 15M ruble contract for catering at the Kommunarka hospital, a COVID patient treatment facility, in a no-competition tender in March as reported by Moscow Times.
3/ https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/03/18/putins-chef-wins-190k-catering-contract-for-coronavirus-patients-a69672
3/ https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/03/18/putins-chef-wins-190k-catering-contract-for-coronavirus-patients-a69672
More interesting is what these enterprises are doing abroad. In April, Sudanese media reported that Meroe Gold promised to deliver COVID aid including PPE to Sudan.
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Meroe Gold and Mikhail Potepkin (quoted in the SUNA article referenced above) were sanctioned by the US Treasury this week for their role in helping Prigozhin evade sanctions: https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm1058
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In Syria, Evro Polis representative Ildar Zaripov appeared at an April press conference with the Russian Ambassador and Syria's Deputy Minister of Health, announcing the delivery of Russian COVID aid to Syria. Zaripov is the guy on the right:
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Reportedly, Evro Polis supported Russia's provision of medical aid in response to Coronavirus, which included respirators and PPE. Evro Polis is the commercial entity that facilitated PMC Wagner's deals with the Syrian gov't: https://thebell.io/en/russian-mercenary-army-financier-made-oil-deal-syria-just-clash-u-s-troops/
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Now it's worth mentioning that this COVID aid might actually be an important lifeline to Syrian and Sudanese doctors treating the disease. It may also be fraught by the shortcoming US medical personnel found in Russian COVID aid to the U.S.
8/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-coronavirus-aid-us-putin/2020/04/01/39d52cb2-7411-11ea-ad9b-254ec99993bc_story.html
8/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-coronavirus-aid-us-putin/2020/04/01/39d52cb2-7411-11ea-ad9b-254ec99993bc_story.html
In either case, it's interesting to see how Prigozhin's enterprises have moved to exploit the COVID outbreak on multiple fronts — for political goodwill and for personal enrichment.
On methodology: @IsaacZukin found this case in Sudan and @kwnazemi found this reporting in Syria. Exemplifies how important it is to leverage Russian, English and Arabic language when researching these networks (not to mention French!)
cc'ing those who may be interested: @CandaceRondeaux @KimberlyMarten @nickpdonovan @AricToler @RuslanLeviev @DDaltonBennett
What led me to tweet this thread: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/us/politics/vaccine-hacking-russia.html?referringSource=articleShare
