Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has today been confirmed dead in a plane crash near Moscow on Wednesday.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said the results of genetic tests had confirmed the identities of the 10 people who died in a plane crash last Wednesday and they included the founder of the Wagner mercenary group.
Russia’s civil aviation authority earlier this week said Prigozhin, along with some of his top lieutenants, were on the list of those on board the plane that crashed near Moscow, killing all those on board.
Western politicians and commentators have suggested, without presenting evidence, that Putin ordered Prigozhin to be killed as punishment for the mutiny.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that such suggestions were “an absolute lie”. Asked whether Putin might attend Prigozhin’s funeral, Mr Peskov said it was too early to say and also noted the president’s “busy schedule”.
It comes as a resurfaced clip of the Wagner leader talking about a “plane falling apart in the sky” has resurfaced on social media.
