The Kremlin is looking for a new owner for Prigozhin’s “troll factory” – The Bell

The Russian authorities are looking for a new owner for Yevgeny Prigozhin's media assets, including the "troll factory". about this The Bell writes , citing sources cooperating with Prigozhin's companies.

According to the publication, the Patriot holding, which includes RIA FAN and Politika Segodnya, is likely to be transferred to the National Media Group (NMG) of Yuri Kovalchuk. The transaction can be concluded directly or through intermediaries. At the same time, The Bell notes that "this is a general version," and the publication does not have information that negotiations have already begun.

The network is also discussing another alleged buyer of Prigozhin's media assets. They can allegedly be acquired by Viktor Shkulev's Hearst Shkulev Publishing holding. It is assumed that he was offered to buy the assets for one ruble if he keeps the editorial boards for three months and pays back wage arrears. The Bell failed to get a comment from Shkulev himself.

In any case, as the newspaper writes, the new owner of Prigozhin's media empire will now be supervised directly from the presidential administration.

The first Western sanctions against Prigozhin were introduced because of his connection with the so-called "troll factory". This is the name of the “Internet Research Agency”, created in 2013, whose employees were engaged in the mass posting of comments on social networks on a given topic. The company has been accused of interfering in the 2018 US presidential election, among other things.

A year later, Prigozhin founded the Patriot media group. It includes some publications associated with the "troll factory", such as RIA FAN, "Economy Today", "Politics Today", "Nevsky News", "Word and Deed" and "People's News".

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