Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskovshe claimed on Monday that her son had fought in Ukraine, highlighting the lopsided involvement of Moscow’s elite in a war effort that has so far claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Russian soldiers.
Peskov’s remarks came later Yevgeny Prigozhinhead of the Russian private military company Wagnerr, said on Saturday that Peskov’s son had been serving as a gunner in his mercenary group for six months.
Their son, 33-year-old Nikolai Peskov, described his alleged service at Komsomolskaya Pravda, a pro-government newspaper, in an article published the next day.
On Monday Peskov, who is the president’s longest-serving chief spokesman Vladimir Putinwas asked about his son at a daily press conference.
“It is true that he participated in the special military operation,” he told reporters, using the government’s euphemism for war in Ukraine.
He declined to provide further details.
None of the accounts could be independently verified, and it was not possible to determine whether Prigozhin was pointing to a rare example of military service by a wealthy young Russian or whether he was attempting a public relations stunt irritate Kremlin insiders.
Prigozhin, a social media provocateur, has often criticized the country’s elite for their weak patriotic sentiment.
In March, Prigozhin said that the Russian defense minister’s son-in-law, Sergey Shoiguhe had joined Wagner.
The fighter he identified was found to be unrelated to Shoigu, a frequent target of Prigozhin’s criticism.
Some elements of Prigozhin’s story about young Peskov’s service rang with ridicule.
Prigozhin said that in Wagner, Nikolai Peskov he had been working loading ammunition on a mission that would take him miles from the front line.
He also said that Nikolai Peskov stood out among his peers because he spoke English and “he seemed too smart“.
Several current and former Russian officials have volunteered for the army since the invasion began last year, using their service to reinforce their nationalist credentials on social networks.
But it has been difficult to confirm details of their service, including whether they have held frontline roles.
In 2011, Nikolai Peskov posted photos on social media that appeared to show his participation in Russia’s one-year conscription.
Since Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, young Peskov has been urged to continue enlisting.
Shortly after Putin announced in September that he would mobilize 300,000 men to fight, opposition activists who claimed to be recruiting officers spent a phone prank.
“Obviously, I’m not going there,” said a man posing as Nikolai Peskov when asked if he would report to the recruiting office the next day.
“I’m going to take this on another level.”
But he told the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper that the conscription was his decision, saying he was awarded a medal “for bravery”.
He did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The New York Times.
c.2023 The New York Times Society
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.