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He's the leader of Belarus and a very close ally to Vladimir Putin, even allowing the Russian president to move nuclear weapons into his country. To end the rebellion, a deal was brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko which exiled Prigozhin to Belarus.īut the last we heard, he's still in Russia. He has clashed with the Kremlin over its tactics in Ukraine, launching an armed rebellion in Russia and demanding the removal of defence minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov. His fighters were heavily involved in the capture of Bakhmut, one of the war's bloodiest battles and one of Russia's few successful gains. Prigozhin's influence has grown since the invasion and his forces have stepped out of the shadows in the tens of thousands to be used openly in combat. The head of the Russian mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin started out as a flea market hot dog seller.Ī former convict who spent much of his young life behind bars, he rose up to become close to Vladimir Putin, earning himself the nickname "Putin's chef" on account of his Kremlin-linked catering business. He has repeatedly blamed the West for stoking the war, and denied Russia is targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine. Over the past two decades he has sought to reassert Russian dominance in the East, illegally invading and annexing the Ukrainian region of Crimea in 2014. The man who started it all with his "special military operation" announcement on the 22 February, Vladimir Putin has served as Russia's president for the last 11 years.Ī former KGB agent, he has become synonymous with the country's increasingly hostile foreign policy.įor him, the war in Ukraine is a chance to restore Russia's sphere of influence and take back land, which he views as belonging to his country. In contrast to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Zelenskyy has made several visits to front lines to congratulate service members and made a number of trips overseas to strengthen diplomatic relations.

The former comedian has garnered worldwide praise for his leadership during the conflict. Some may forget that the Ukrainian president - who has already led his country through nearly a year and a half of war - was only elected in 2019. A sombre milestone has been reached for Ukrainians, with today marking 500 days of the invasion by Russia.Īs Ukraine continues to fight against Russian aggression, Moscow is continuing what it views as its "special military operation" in the country.Īfter nearly a year and a half of conflict, we've heard a lot from five of the war's key players.