Putin breaks silence over Prigozhin’s reported death

A day after the Wagner chief’s private jet crashed, Vladimir Putin finally spoke out about Yevgeny Prigozhin’s alleged demise.

Putin breaks silence over Prigozhin’s death: The head of the mercenary gang, according to the president of Russia, was a “talented person” who “made serious mistakes in life.”

Additionally, Mr. Putin offered condolences to the families of all 10 alleged passengers of the plane that crashed on Wednesday night northwest of Moscow.

He refrained, though, from openly stating that Prigozhin had passed away.

The cause of the fatal crash and whether Prigozhin was indeed on board, as indicated on the passenger list, have been the subject of wild speculation since the jet came down.

On Thursday, during a briefing, a Pentagon spokeswoman said that the US believe the Wagner chief was probably kill in the collision.

Residents of the nearby villages in the Tver region claim to have heard a tremendous blast before seeing a plane crash to the ground.

Russian media sources are actively investigating the notion that a bomb was brought on board, according to reports.

An explosion inside the aircraft appeared to be the most likely cause, a US official told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

The official said that the origin of the explosion was unknown, albeit a bomb was one option.

Another allegation put forth by a Telegram group affiliated with Prigozhin claimed that Russian anti-aircraft personnel were responsible for shooting the jet down. This has not been verified, and the Pentagon stated on Thursday that there is no information to support this.

Authorities are examining the CCTV footage, and they are questioning ground employees at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport, where the flight departed for St. Petersburg.

“Putin’s Shifting Stance: From Supporter to Condolences for Wagner Chief Prigozhin”

The head of the Wagner mercenary company in Russia, Prigozhin, was once thought to be a supporter of Putin.

However, many observers referred to him as a “dead man walking” after he organised a brief rebellion in Russia in June.

Following the crash, the Kremlin kept a curiously hushed silence. The following morning, President Putin even spoke via video connection at the Brics conference in South Africa, but he made no mention of the crash that was making headlines throughout the globe.

But that changed on Thursday night.

In a televised conference at his Kremlin apartment, he said, “I would like to above all express words of the most sincere condolences to the families of all those who have died.”

Initial data indicated that “Wagner employees” were on board, he continued.

In restating the Kremlin’s false claim that Ukraine is link with Nazism, Mr. Putin remarked, “These are individuals who have made a substantial contribution to our shared effort of combating the neo-Nazi regime in Ukraine.”

In order to support his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he utilised this claim.

Mr. Putin referred to Prigozhin as a “man with a complicated life” after Prigozhin revealed that he had known him since the early 1990s.

The Russian Putin also gave Prigozhin and his warriors appreciation, especially for what they did in Ukraine.

He committed grave errors of judgement. But when I asked for it, like in the last six months, he produced results for both himself and the greater good.

Mr. Putin did not confirm the death of the Wagner chief, although using the past tense when referring to Prigozhin and expressing his condolences to the relatives of the victims.

“Recent Developments in Wagner Private Military Group’s Rebellion and Aftermath”

Two months ago, Prigozhin and his armed men, many of whom were prisoners, initiated a rebellion, prompting Mr. Putin to characterize their actions as “treason” and a “stab in the back of Russia.”

Only 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the capital, the criminals put off their march on Moscow when he promised to punish them.

The Wagner warriors were subsequently presented with the choice of joining the Russian army or relocating to Belarus. Opting for Belarus would exempt them from punishment.

The pullback caused confusion among both common Russians and professionals because they couldn’t understand why the Wagner chief was reportedly given permission to travel freely within Russia and, seemingly, overseas.

The Russian ministry of defence has not responded.

Russian forensic experts have reportedly identified the victims, but Mr. Putin foresaw extensive DNA tests.

The co-founder of Wagner, Dmitry Utkin, and the person in charge of the company’s finances, Valeriy Chekalov, were reportedly also on board, according to Russia’s civil aviation authorities.

On the plane, it is believed that seven passengers and three crew members perished.