Inside Wagner warlord's palace: Putin's forces raid Prigozhin's mansion and find a closet full of WIGS, an alligator and a photo of his enemies' severed heads... before 'leaking images of Yevgeny wearing disguises'
Vladimir Putin has humiliated Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin after his failed uprising in Russia by sending security services to raid his St Petersburg palace.
Pro-Kremlin newspaper Izvestia yesterday published photos and video of armed officers searching Prigozhin's mansion while he was exiled in Belarus on June 24.
The investigators discovered huge caches of assault weapons and ammunition, stashes of gold bars, a stuffed alligator and a framed photo which is purported to be of the severed heads of the exiled private military leader's enemies.
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Images of the raid also include a large closet containing many different wigs of varying styles and colours, from grey to mousy brown.
A slew of photos purporting to show Prigozhin wearing the wigs as part of various disguises were leaked to state-backed Russian Telegram channels.
The quality of some disguises is laughable, sparking speculation they may have been doctored in an attempt to further discredit the Wagner chief.
But Prigozhin's supporters declared the leaking of the images may flout Russia's strict national security laws, suggesting the oligarch was acting as a state agent, given Wagner's ties to Russia's military intelligence service, the GRU.
It comes after the warlord launched what appeared to be an armed insurrection against Putin less than two weeks ago - which was soon halted after Minsk helped broker a deal to end the conflict.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko today claimed Prigozhin had returned to St. Petersburg - though the location of the Wagner chief remains unknown, with many of his fighters setting up camps on Belarusian soil.
Vladimir Putin has humiliated Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin (pictured) after his failed uprising in Russia by sending security services to raid his St Petersburg palace
On display in his lavish home was what appears to be a stuffed alligator displayed on a dresser table
A framed photo which is purported to be of the severed heads of exiled private military leader Prigozhin's enemies
Huge caches of weapons, including assault rifles and cartridges for them were found by security services inside the Wagner founder's home
The luxurious staircase has a grand piano sitting at its base
In the raid police uncovered large closet containing many different wigs of varying styles and colours, from grey to mousy brown
Prigozhin's extravagant palace has its own spa and sauna area