For many years Mr. Prigoshin has vehemently denied any involvement in the Wagner group. He is believed to have made a handsome fortune from oil fields that his troops have seized in Syria as well as diamond mines in the Taj-Wafkin Republic. So why is he now deciding to put his name to it and take credits for it as it were? Well, one reason is that because of Russia's tattered relationship with the West, there's no longer a point in maintaining the open secret.