Moscow [Russia], August 27 : The assertions that the Wagner mercenary chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin at the direction of the Russian government is an "absolute lie," the Kremlin has said.
According to Al Jazeera, ten bodies and flight recorders were found at the scene of the crash on Wednesday northwest of Moscow by Russian officials, and an inquiry is ongoing for the crash.
Rejecting all the allegations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “Right now, of course, there are lots of speculation around this plane crash and the tragic deaths of the passengers of the plane, including Yevgeny Prigozhin,” Peskov told reporters in a conference call.
“Of course in the West, those speculations are put out under a certain angle, and all of it is a complete lie."
Prigozhin was listed among those on board the plane. In addition to hiring fighters who are feared in Africa and Syria, Prigozhin, who led a brief but shocking uprising in Russia two months ago, was a key player in the conflict in Ukraine.
Peskov cited Putin's comments from the previous day when responding to the question of whether the Kremlin had received an official confirmation of Prigozhin's demise. He said that all required forensic investigations, including genetic testing, are currently being conducted. When official conclusions of any kind will be ready, they will be released, Al Jazeera reported.
The pact that put an end to the uprising in Russia 2 months back was mediated by Putin's close ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who stated he "can't imagine" the Russian president ordering Prigozhin's assassination.
“I know Putin. He is calculating, very calm, even slow,” Al Jazeera quoted Lukashenko as saying to the state media. “I cannot imagine that Putin did it, that Putin is to blame. It’s too rough and unprofessional work.”
The plane crash occurred months after Prigozhin staged a mutiny against Russia's military leadership.
The Embraer business jet, carrying the Wagner mercenary group chief, crashed in the Tver Region near the settlement of Kuzhenkino. According to preliminary data, all 10 people on board the plane have died. The plane was en route from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport to St Petersburg, TASS reported.
Prigozhin was a former close aide of Russian President Vladimir Putin until he initiated a rebellion in June 2023. Prigozhin controlled a network of companies including the Wagner private military group.
On June 23, 2023, the Wagner Group led by him launched a mutiny against the Russian military leadership. Negotiations led to the rebellion being called off. Prigozhin relocated to Belarus and charges against him were dropped.
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