Putin breaks silence on Wagner leader’s presumed death. Here’s what to know – National | 24CA News
Russian President Vladimir Putin broke his silence Thursday on the presumed dying of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner Group militia.
Putin expressed condolences for these aboard the non-public jet that crashed Wednesday, praising Prigozhin as a gifted businessman. He made the remarks in a televised interview whereas talking with Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed chief of Ukraine’s partially occupied Donetsk area.
The airplane crash got here precisely two months after Prigozhin led a mutiny towards Putin, marching a band of his mercenaries towards Moscow with the demand that Russia’s defence minister resign.
Putin promised retribution towards Prigozhin, who had as soon as been a detailed ally.
Ten folks have been aboard the downed plane, which was on its approach from Moscow to St. Petersburg when it crashed within the small city of Kuzhenkino, about 300 kilometres northwest of Moscow.
Among the passengers have been six of Prigozhin’s Wagner lieutenants, based on the Associated Press. They included Dmitry Utkin, the right-hand man of Prigozhin, who was mentioned to be the brains of the Wagner Group.
Three flight crew have been additionally on board, together with a pilot, co-pilot and flight attendant.
So far, nameless sources in Wagner say that Prigozhin is lifeless, based on the Associated Press, however there was no official affirmation.
A Russian investigation has opened into how the airplane crashed, with investigators combing via the wreckage on Thursday.
The stays of these on board are mentioned to be burned or disfigured past recognition, based on a number of Russian social media channels, and will have to be recognized by DNA. The stories have been picked up by unbiased Russian media, however the Associated Press famous it was not capable of independently affirm them, nor has Global News.
Video of the crash reveals the airplane swirling towards the earth, with smoke trailing from its fuselage.
Kuzhenkino resident Anastasia Bukharova, 27, instructed the Associated Press she was strolling along with her youngsters Wednesday when she noticed the jet, “and then — boom! — it exploded in the sky and began to fall down.”
Bukharova mentioned she feared the airplane would hit homes within the village and ran along with her youngsters, but it surely crashed in a subject.
“Something sort of was torn from it in the air, and it began to go down and down,” she mentioned.
Two U.S. officers talking on situation of anonymity instructed Reuters that they consider a surface-to-air missile inside Russia doubtless shot down the airplane.
Flight-tracking information reviewed by the Associated Press reveals a non-public jet beforehand utilized by Prigozhin took off from Moscow Wednesday night and that its transponder sign disappeared minutes later.
Putin mentioned Thursday that it’s essential to await the outcomes of the investigation, which he mentioned would take a while.
Prigozhin was listed as a passenger on the jet, based on Russia’s aviation company.
He shares an extended historical past with Putin going again to the early Nineties.
The two share an identical tough background and each come from St. Petersburg. Prigozhin grew to be an oligarch in Russia, making a fortune fulfilling catering contracts with the Russian authorities.
He grew to become referred to as “Putin’s chef.”
However, he additionally constructed a shadowy repute, University of Toronto historical past professor Aurel Braun beforehand instructed Global News.
“He became an oligarch thanks to his close relationship with Putin,” Braun mentioned. “You are looking at a very sordid, unscrupulous, extremely nasty, corrupt, vicious individual.”
Prigozhin had turn out to be an more and more vocal critic of Putin in current months, chastising the Russian military and its generals for the technique taken within the Ukraine struggle. Putin appeared to tolerate the criticism, which Braun mentioned was consistent with his management type of pitting one group towards one other.
The Wagner lieutenants on board the airplane reportedly additionally embody Valery Chekalov, described by Wagner Group professional Lou Osborn to The Associated Press as Wagner’s logistics mastermind.
According to the Dossier Center, an investigative group in London funded by Russian opposition determine Mikhail Khodorkovsky, different Wagner leaders on the flight included Yevgeny Makaryan, linked to actions in Syria, and three others about whom little is thought: Alexander Totmin, Sergei Propustin and Nikolai Matuseiev.
At least one of many males fought in a unit that grew to become Prigozhin’s supply for securing bodyguards, based on the Dossier Center.
— with recordsdata from the Associated Press, Reuters and Stewart Bell.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
