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Stuffed alligator, wigs, gold bars: Bizzare collection found at Wagner chief's ‘palace’ in Russia
A private helicopter pad, well-equipped medical rooms, several passports, and a cache of weapons were found in raids at Wagner chief's lavish home.
The Russian military on Wednesday revealed pictures and videos of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's posh house and offices after it claimed to have conducted raids at several locations in St Petersburg. The visuals from the raid showed a bizarre collection of bars of gold, a collection of wigs, and a giant sledgehammer at his house.
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The palace, which the mercenary leader was forced to abandon after a failed coup on Russian leadership last month, also housed a stuffed alligator and a framed photo allegedly showing the severed heads of Prigozhin's enemies, reported Sky News.
Images of the luxurious ‘palace’ also showed a grand piano at the base of a spiral marble staircase, as well as a spa and sauna area, and private indoor swimming pool.
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) also revealed that huge amounts of cash in various currencies were discovered. Moreover, a private helicopter pad, well-equipped medical rooms, several passports, a cache of weapons, and various items bearing the Wagner insignia were also found.
On reports on Prigozhin taking shelter in Belarus, President Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday that the military leader was still in Russia with thousands of fighters, but dismissed speculation that President Vladimir Putin would have killed him.
Lukashenko - who brokered a deal which saw the Wagner boss call off the rebellion and leave Russia for Belarus - said on June 27 that the exiled leader had arrived in his country.
Large numbers of Wagner fighters were said to have also been absorbed into the Russian military as part of the agreement overseen by Lukashenko to end the stand-off.
(With agency inputs)
