VIDEO. Who was Dmitry Autkin, co-founder of the Wagner group, who died in a plane crash with Prigozhin?

“Dmitry Utkin was a rather charismatic character who liked to use his image of terror,” describes Dmitry Zuferei, co-author of Wagner – A Study at the Core of Prigozhin’s System. Dmitry Utkin would have died on August 23 in Russia, while on a plane that crashed along with Yevgeny Prigozhin. Portrait of an enigmatic mercenary known for his barbaric actions and neo-Nazi views.

“He was a very reserved character, but we know that he spent his entire career in the military,” explains Dmitry Zuferei. He started in the Russian special forces, then was assigned to the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU).

Having become a mercenary of two private military companies, Dmitry Autkin finds himself at the head of a unit of 250 people in the Donbass. This is the origin of the Wagner unit. “Wagner is Utkin’s code name, referring to Richard Wagner, Adolf Hitler’s favorite composer,” Zuferi said. The right hand of Yevgeny Prigozhin, Utkin until today was one of the leaders of the Wagner group. The mercenary was accused of war crimes and subjected to international sanctions. In particular, he is responsible for ordering the torture and beheading of a Syrian deserter.