Last Updated: August 24, 2023, 23:45 IST
Yevgeny Prigozhin, left, shows Russian President Vladimir Putin, around his factory which produces school meals, outside St. Petersburg, Russia on Sept. 20, 2010. (File Image/AP)
Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a brief rebellion against the top Russian army brass, is presumed dead after being named on the passenger list of a private jet that crashed north of Moscow, killing all 10 people on board on Wednesday
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday paid his “condolences” over the presumed death of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin. The Russian premiere described him as a man who made mistakes but “achieved results”.
Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a brief mutiny against the top Russian army brass, is presumed dead after being named on the passenger list of a private jet that crashed north of Moscow, killing all 10 people on board on Wednesday.
An investigation is underway to ascertain the cause behind Wednesday’s crash. The plane crash comes exactly two months after Wagner’s brief rebellion against Moscow’s military leadership.
“First of all I want to express words of sincere condolences to the families of all the victims,” Putin said in a televised meeting, adding that the incident is a “tragedy”.
“I knew Prigozhin for a very long time, since the early 90s. He was a man of complicated fate, and he made serious mistakes in his life, but he achieved the right results,” the Russian premier added.
He further highlighted Prigozhin’s work in Africa, where the Wagner chief claimed to be earlier in the week. The Wagner group maintains a significant military presence in Africa.
“As far as I know, he just returned from Africa yesterday and met with some officials there,” Putin further said, adding that the investigation into the crash “will take some time”.
“It will be conducted in full and brought to a conclusion. There is no doubt about that,” the Russian president added.
Putin also said the Wagner members who died in the crash made a “significant contribution” to Moscow’s offensive in Ukraine and shared a “common cause”. “We remember that, we know that, and we will not forget that,” he added.
Among those killed in the crash was Dmitry Utkin, who managed Wagner’s operations and allegedly served in Russian military intelligence.
Putin had termed Prigozhin a “traitor” after the Wagner group’s rebellion earlier this year in June.
(With inputs from AFP)
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