Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the plane carrying Wagner warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin did not crash because of an attack from outside, but because of hand grenades inside the aircraft.
Speaking at a meeting in Sochi, Putin said that the head of the investigative committee recently stated that they found pieces of hand grenades inside the victims’ bodies. No outside force affected the plane, and this is something that we know for sure.
Prigozhin, a person who tried to rebel against the Russian government, was one of the 10 people on a private plane that crashed in a field in northwest Moscow in August while heading to St. PetersburgPetersburg is a city. Everyone on the ship, including Prigozhin and his most important assistants, died.
The Russian leader, whose government says they were not involved in the crash, did not explain how grenades could have exploded on the plane. However, he believed that investigators should have tested the bodies of the victims for drugs or alcohol.
“I said again, in my opinion they should have done a test but they didn’t,” he said, also mentioning that Russian security forces found 10 billion in cash and 5 kilos of cocaine in Wagner’s office in St Petersburg before. ”
Putin said that the leader of the investigation committee stated that it is alright to “share this information with the public” because it is a widely known and proven truth.
The accident happened exactly two months after Prigozhin’s rebellion against Russia’s military leaders. This rebellion was a major threat to Putin’s leadership, something that hadn’t happened in many years.
In June, Prigozhin and his Wagner troops took control of important military places and went towards Moscow, where the Kremlin had sent heavily armed troops to the streets. However, right before they were about to fight, an agreement was made that stopped the rebellion and sent Prigozhin and his fighters to Belarus, which is a nearby country.
After the crash that caused a lot of deaths, Russian officials started thinking about different possibilities related to the incident. One of these possibilities was the chance that it was done on purpose, according to Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, who spoke to reporters at the end of August.
US and Western intelligence officials had told CNN that they thought the crash was done on purpose. The President of the United States, Joe Biden, even said that Putin might have had something to do with it. “In August, he said that he wasn’t surprised, although he didn’t have definite information about what happened. ”
Peskov said that the Kremlin had nothing to do with the plane’s destruction and that any rumors about it are completely false.
Tag: Wagner boss
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‘Hand grenade fragments’ discovered in corpses on Wagner boss’s downed aircraft – Putin
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I repeatedly advised head of Wagner, to be cautious – Belarusian president
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says he personally told Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin twice to be careful of any dangers to his life.
Lukashenko mentioned that during their initial conversation, they were discussing agreements while simultaneously traveling towards Moscow.
I said to him, “Yevgeny, do you realize that if you continue, your people will be in danger and you will also die. ” He had recently returned from fighting in the war. On a sudden feeling, he said: “I will die, darn it.
Just a few days after a plane, suspected to be carrying the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, crashed in a field, the Belarusian leader recently discussed a subject.The plane was going from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
The accident happened exactly two months after Prigozhin tried to rebel against Russia’s military leaders,which was a big challenge to President Vladimir Putin’s power.
We do not know for sure what caused the crash yet, but the US and Western intelligence officials that CNN talked to think it was done on purpose. Russian officials are checking into a potential crime.
The Kremlin said they were not involved in the plane crash and there is no proof that Putin or Russian security services had anything to do with it.
The leader of Belarus said that when he spoke with Prigozhin for the second time, he strongly cautioned him to be careful.
Lukashenko did not say when the meeting happened. He said that Dmitriy Utkin, who has worked with Prigozhin for a longtime,joined Prigozhin.
The President of Belarus told Prigozhin that if he was worried about his safety, he could speak with Putin and be assured that he would be fully protected in Belarus.
I told them that if they were scared of something, I would talk to President Putin and help them move to Belarus. We will keep you safe in Belarus. Yevgeny Prigozhin has never asked me to focus on security issues separately.
The Russian government still hasn’t confirmed Prigozhin’s death, but Putin talked about him as if he has passed away on Thursday.
Prigozhin and Utkin were both on the list of passengers released by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, and both the Pentagon and British Ministry of Defense said that it is probable that the leader of Wagner was killed in the rush.
DmitryPeskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, said they are currently conducting tests to find out who was on the aircraft or ship.
Lukashenko said before that he couldn’t believe that Putin was responsible for the apparent death of Prigozhin.I don’t know who did it. I don’t even want to be a lawyer for my older brother. But I know Putin – he is very careful, calm, and takes his time when making decisions about things that are not very complicated.
Lukashenko expressed disbelief over the idea that Putin could be responsible for it, stating that he cannot fathom Putin’s involvement.”He said that the work was not good and was done in a careless and unskilled manner. ”
Belta reported that Lukashenko said Prigozhin never asked for security promises after the failed mutiny two months ago.
I don’t have to make sure Prigozhin stay safe. This is the beginning. He said that the conversation between Prigozhin and Lukashenko did not focus on this.
He also said that Wagner will stay in Belarus. He mentioned that everyone from the group will be here in a few days. He was talking about the fighters from Wagner and the agreement he made to let them come to Belarus after the uprising failed.
“He said that there can be as many as 10 thousand people. “As long as we need them, they will stay and work with us.
Lukashenko mentioned that they were taking down extra tents because they had more than they needed,based on satellite pictures showing camp sites for Wagner fighters being dismantled. The main group is still here, but some people went on vacation and others chose to stay on the sidelines. However, everyone knows all the phone numbers, addresses, passwords, and how everyone looks.
Prigozhin’s death has brought uncertainty to Wagner’s future in Belarus and other places.