The Kremlin on Friday rejected allegations it was behind a plane crash that is presumed to have killed mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who conducted a brief but shocking mutiny in Russia two months ago.
Prigozhin, whose brutal fighters were feared in Ukraine, Africa and Syria, was eulogized Thursday (Aug. 24) by President Vladimir Putin, even as suspicions grew that the Russian leader was behind that .
A preliminary concluded the plane was downed by an intentional explosion. One of the U.S. and Western officials who described the assessment said it determined that Prigozhin was 鈥渧ery likely鈥� targeted and that the explosion falls in line with Putin鈥檚 鈥渓ong history of trying to silence his critics.鈥�
The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, did not offer any details on what caused the explosion, which was widely believed to be vengeance for the mutiny in June that posed the biggest challenge to Putin鈥檚 23-year rule.
But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov flatly rejected the allegations.
鈥淩ight now, of course, there are lots of speculations around this plane crash and the tragic deaths of the passengers of the plane, including Yevgeny Prigozhin,鈥� Peskov told reporters during a conference call. 鈥淥f course, in the West those speculations are put out under a certain angle, and all of it is a complete lie.鈥�
Prigozhin was listed among those aboard the plane.
Asked by The Associated Press whether the Kremlin has received an official confirmation of Prigozhin鈥檚 death, Peskov referenced Putin鈥檚 remarks from a day earlier: 鈥淗e said that right now all the necessary forensic analyses, including genetic testing, will be carried out. Once some kind of official conclusions are ready to be released, they will be released.鈥�
Britain鈥檚 Defense Ministry said the presumed death of could destabilize his Wagner Group of private military contractors.
His 鈥渆xceptional audacity鈥� and 鈥渆xtreme brutality鈥� permeated the organization 鈥渁nd are unlikely to be matched by any successor,鈥� the ministry said in a statement.
Wagner mercenaries were key elements of Russia鈥檚 forces in its , particularly in the long fight to take the city of Bakhmut, the conflict鈥檚 most grueling battle. Wagner fighters also have played a central role projecting Russian influence in global trouble spots, first in Africa and then in Syria.
The jet crashed Wednesday soon after taking off from Moscow for St. Petersburg, carrying Prigozhin, six other Wagner members and a crew of three, according to Russia鈥檚 civil aviation authority. Rescuers found 10 bodies, and Russian media cited anonymous sources in Wagner who said Prigozhin was dead. But there has been no official confirmation.
President Joe Biden, speaking to reporters Wednesday, said he believed Putin was likely behind the crash.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know for a fact what happened, but I鈥檓 not surprised,鈥� Biden said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not much that happens in Russia that Putin鈥檚 not behind.鈥�
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov took offense at that. 鈥淚t is not for the U.S. president, in my opinion, to talk about certain tragic events of this nature,鈥� he said Friday.
The passenger manifest also included Prigozhin鈥檚 second-in-command, as well as Wagner鈥檚 logistics chief and at least one possible bodyguard.
It was not clear why of Wagner, who were normally exceedingly careful about their security, would have been on the same flight. The purpose of their trip to St. Petersburg was unknown.
Russian authorities have opened an investigation into the crash. The country鈥檚 Investigative Committee said Friday that it had recovered the plane鈥檚 flight recorders and that genetic testing was being used to identify the bodies.
Numerous have been killed or fallen gravely ill in apparent assassination attempts, and U.S. and other Western officials long expected the Russian leader to go after Prigozhin, despite promising to drop charges in a deal that ended the June 23-24 mutiny.
Prigozhin was outspoken and critical of how Russian generals were waging the war in Ukraine, where his mercenaries were some of the fiercest fighters for the Kremlin. For a long time, Putin appeared content to allow such infighting, but Prigozhin鈥檚 brief revolt raised the ante.
On June 23, swept through the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and captured the military headquarters there without firing a shot. They then drove to within about 200 kilometers (125 miles) of Moscow and downed several military aircraft, killing more than a dozen Russian pilots.
Putin initially denounced the rebellion as 鈥渢reason鈥� and a 鈥渟tab in the back,鈥� but soon made a deal that saw an end to the mutiny a day after it began in exchange for an amnesty for Prigozhin and his mercenaries and permission for them to move to Belarus.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who facilitated that deal, said Friday that Prigozhin never asked him for security guarantees. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have to ensure Prigozhin鈥檚 safety 鈥� the conversation was never in that vein,鈥� he was quoted as saying by the state news agency Belta.
Lukashenko said he previously warned Putin of 鈥渁n impending assassination attempt on Prigozhin,鈥� according to Belta. Lukashenko told Belta he received 鈥渧ery serious information from the deepest sources鈥� while on a recent trip to the United Arab Emirates and passed it on via the Russian ambassador in the UAE to Putin and the head of Russia鈥檚 FSB security agency.
Lukashenko later checked with Prigozhin, who confirmed Putin had warned him about the threat, according to Belta.
Since Prigozhin鈥檚 presumed death, unconfirmed reports said hundreds of Wagner鈥檚 fighters have fled Belarus. Relatives of Wagner fighters on one Telegram chat reported long lines for payments at a Wagner office in Russia鈥檚 southern Krasnodar region, the private force鈥檚 base.
The Associated Press
