Russian state media revealed on Wednesday that Russian forces discovered an extensive collection of wigs and sledgehammers during a raid on the home of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the exiled boss of the Wagner mercenary group.
The raid, which took place in June, also resulted in the confiscation of Prigozhin's weapons cache, millions of dollars in cash, and gold bars from his luxurious St. Petersburg estate.
Photos of the possessions were shared on a state TV channel program called "60 Minutes" in an effort to publicly denounce Prigozhin and provide evidence of his criminal history and questionable past.
The images shown on the program depicted boxes filled with roubles, a closet full of wigs, a cache of weapons, and a collection of large souvenir sledgehammers.
These sledgehammers were allegedly used by Wagner fighters to beat traitors to death in videos that surfaced online. One photo displayed a giant sledgehammer with the inscription "For use in important negotiations."
The photos also offered a glimpse into Prigozhin's opulent lifestyle, showcasing his swanky digs complete with a personal helicopter and a large indoor pool.
Russian authorities discovered approximately 600 million roubles, equivalent to $6.58 million, at his properties. They also found multiple passports, all featuring Prigozhin's face but under different names.
After being banished to Belarus under an agreement with the Kremlin that protects him from criminal charges, Prigozhin returned to Russia on Tuesday to collect his weapons cache.
Just days earlier, he had reclaimed $100 million in cash and gold that had also been seized. Prigozhin claimed that the money was used to pay Wagner fighters and their families.
In a recent audio message, Prigozhin expressed gratitude to Wagner Group's supporters and promised new "victories on the front lines." Russian officials have stated that the investigation into Prigozhin's attempted insurrection is ongoing.
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