Russian President Vladimir Putin has finally opened his voice regarding the death of Wagner Group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin who was on the plane that crashed on Wednesday (23/8/2023).
Prigozhin, once Putin’s personal chef and confidant, lived in self-imposed exile following the coup attempt and uprising last June due to frustration stemming from Russia’s lack of success on the battlefield in Ukraine.
“In connection with the crash of this plane, first of all I would like to express my sincere condolences to the families of all the victims. It is always a tragedy,” Putin said in his televised speech, quoted by CNBC International, Friday (25/8/2023 )
“I have known Prigozhin for a long time, since the early 90s,” Putin said, describing him as a “talented businessman” with a “complicated fate” who “made serious mistakes in his life.”
The Russian leader did not confirm Prigozhin’s death, but spoke in past context when referring to the 62-year-old. Putin said the investigation into what happened to the private jet carrying 10 people and departing from Moscow to St. Petersburg has already been done.
The Pentagon said Thursday that initial intelligence indicated that the Wagner leader died in Wednesday’s plane crash.
“It is highly likely that Prigozhin was killed and we continue to assess the situation,” US Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder said at a Pentagon briefing.
“The press reported that there was some kind of surface-to-air missile; we consider that information to be inaccurate,” Ryder said, declining to elaborate.
Former deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told MSNBC that the attack “was not a mysterious accident.”
“This has the characteristics of a military-style takedown,” Rhodes said, adding that Prigozhin was faring very well after a brief uprising about two months ago.
Former US Navy Adm. James Stavridis, who commanded NATO alliance forces between 2009 and 2013, said Prigozhin’s death was a warning to those who disagree with Putin’s absolute rule.
“He [Putin] needs to show who actually carried out this action,” Stavridis said, describing the attack as a “public execution.”
“There’s no real surprise here, this is a marker of how deadly, how murderous and how immoral Vladimir Putin is,” Stavridis added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has denied claims that Kyiv was behind the crash of a private jet on Russian territory.
“We had nothing to do with it. Everyone understands who was involved,” Zelensky said.
Source : CNBC
