Death of Wagner boss Prigozhin
Moscow also considers “premeditated crime” to be possible
8/30/2023 6:52 p.m
How could the plane crash with Wagner boss Prigoschin come about? Last week, the Kremlin dismissed “speculation” that it could be behind Prigozhin’s death as an “absolute lie.” Now it’s time to investigate in all directions.
According to the Kremlin, all directions are being investigated after the fatal plane crash of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin in Russia, including that of a “premeditated crime”. When asked in his daily telephone press conference, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian investigative committee was reviewing all possibilities. It was “obvious that there are different versions,” including that of a “premeditated crime,” he said. “So let’s wait for the results of our Russian investigations.”
The plane with the head of the Russian mercenary group on board crashed last Wednesday while flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg. In addition to the Wagner boss, his deputy Dmitri Utkin and eight other people died.
Last week Peskov called “speculation” that the Kremlin ordered Prigozhin’s death “an absolute lie”. Russian President Vladimir Putin had viewed Prigozhin as a traitor since the Wagner mercenaries’ armed rebellion in June. The day after his death, Putin spoke of a “capable” man who had made “serious mistakes” in his life.
On Thursday, Prigozhin’s deputy Utkin will be buried in the town of Mytishchi, Moscow Region. The 62-year-old Prigozhin had already been buried in a small circle in his native city of St. Petersburg on Tuesday.
Funeral as the final act of the “special operation”
Political scientist Tatyana Stanovaya says the funeral, which was under the full control of the security apparatus, was the final act in the “special operation” to eliminate Prigozhin. Although Prigozhin bore the honorary title of “Hero of Russia,” no one from the state attended the funeral service. The expert sees this as confirmation of the thesis, widespread in Russia and also in the West, that the targeted crash was an act of revenge by the power apparatus.
In June, Prigozhin launched an uprising against the Moscow military leadership and failed. At the time, Putin accused Prigozhin of treason and announced penalties.