One and a half years after the outbreak of the Ukraine war Not only on the Ukrainian front, but also in Africa, Russia has lost one of its strongmen. Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner mercenary group, would have died in a plane crash happened yesterday in the Tver region, along with nine other people.
This has pointed out RIA Novosti aviation agency that in the absence of official identification of the deceased has claimed that Prigozhin was on the passenger list of the crashed planein which they also traveled Dmitri Utkin and five other members of the Wagner militia, a private army with a large presence in many African countries.The sudden death of Prigozhin, Leader of the mercenary mutiny two months agoraised some doubts the leaders of various western countries.
The Kremlin has not decided on the man’s death for the time being was one of Putin’s most loyal supporters: The Russian leader appeared today via video conference. at the BRICS summit, if any allusion to the sudden death of the Wagner leader. Svetlana Petrenko, spokeswoman for the Russian investigative committee, has stated that a series of investigations will be launched to determine the causes of the accident.
Messages were found via Telegram groups linked to the Wagner group stating that the accident was caused by “traitors” to Russia: The same channels speak: based on the pictures of the accident, Attacks on the plane from outside and even a terrorist attack on the plane.
Biden is not surprised
When I heard the news of the mercenary mutiny last July, Biden stated that if he were Prigozhin, “I would be careful about what I eat, I would watch my menu.”. The President then referred to the poisoning of Russian opponent Alexei Navalny. not knowing that Prigozhin’s fatal fate would be related to a plane crash, yet with no concrete explanation.
Today on CNN: Biden sWhen deciding on Prigozhin’s death, he was cautious: “I don’t know exactly what happened. but I’m not surprised‘ declared the President, who later deepened his suspicions: “Not many things happen in Russia that Putin is not behind,” But I don’t know enough to know the answer to that question“.
In Great Britainone of Ukraine’s most important allies, spoke up Alice Kearns, Chairman of the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, who claimed that “the speed with which the Russian government confirmed that Yevgeny Prigozhin was on a plane on a flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg.” should tell us everything we should know.
Prigozhin’s two planes
However, conservative politics has dropped an alternative theory about what happened: suggesting that Prigozhin might still be alive: “A second plane, owned by Prigozhin, toolanded at Ostafyevo Airport near Moscow. The question now is whether Prigozhin, as the manifesto said, was on the first plane or on this second plane. If you were him and got on the second plane, Would you tell someone you survived?”Kearn voiced on social network X.
The condition of the bodies found after the accident – practically charred– could force researchers Conduct DNA testing to identify the deceased. The Daily Telegraph, on the other hand quotes a UK government security sourcewhich would confirm that the plane would have been shot down by the Russian secret service FSB.
In Ukraine there is no doubt that Putin was behind Prigozhin’s death; Michailo Podoliak, Zelenskyj’s advisor said that ‘The elimination of his rival’ is a warning from Putin ‘to the elites’ ahead of the elections that will be held next year. HoweverOdoliak did not want to elaborate on his theory, although he stated on the social network X that “Putin does not forgive anyone”. and that the Russian leader alone”I’ve been waiting for the moment“. According to Podoliak, Putin would warn Russian society that “Disloyalty means death“.
Reasonable doubts in France
Kaja Kallas, Prime Minister of Estonia, takes a similar line after declaring on CNN that Putin “It will take down opponents, and that will put off anyone who thinks of voicing an opinion other than their own“. For his part, Zbigniew Rau, Poland’s Foreign Minister, has stated that those who challenge Putin’s leadership they don’t die “naturally”.
France was a little more cautious about Prigozhin’s death, although French government spokesman Olivier Veran confirmed this “There may be reasonable doubts” about what happened to the plane. In an interview on France 2, Veran has claimed that the exact details explaining Prigozhin’s death are not yet known.