Wagner Prigozhin's plane crash: Investigation, versions and consequences
(Baonghean.vn) - DNA tests are being conducted to identify the dead Wagner group members. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has rejected Western claims that it was responsible for the accident.
According to RT, senior Russian officials have sent condolences over the death of Mr. Evgeny Prigozhin, the businessman behind Russia's private military company - Wagner Group.
Investigators have yet to officially confirm that Prigozhin died in the crash of his private plane on August 23. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin used the "past tense" when speaking about Prigozhin while making a statement about the accident on August 24.
Condolences
President Putin stressed that the Wagner group had done many good things for Russia, and made many comments about Mr. Prigozhin, calling him “a man with a complicated life path” who “made serious mistakes” but also “produced results” for himself and for the common cause.
Meanwhile, Ramzan Kadyrov, head of the Chechen Republic in southern Russia, also highlighted his past friendship with Prigozhin. Mr Kadyrov said that Mr Prigozhin's achievements were "undeniable".
“Recently, he has lost sight of or refused to see the bigger picture. I have urged him to abandon his personal ambitions… but Mr. Prigozhin has managed to achieve what he wants right here and now.”
MP Leonid Slutsky, who leads Russia's nationalist LDPR party, said of Prigozhin that although “at times our views were contradictory” both he and Wagner “did a lot to achieve the goals of the special military operation”.
The accident
An Embraer 135BJ Legacy 600 crashed in the Tver region while flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg on August 23. All 10 people on board were killed.
The plane is believed to have been carrying Mr Prigozhin and some of his closest associates in the Wagner Group. Some debris was found several kilometres from the main crash site, suggesting the plane may have broken apart at high altitude.
Investigation
President Putin has pledged that authorities will thoroughly investigate what happened to Mr Prigozhin's plane, but noted that necessary steps, such as DNA testing, would take time.
According to the RBK news channel, the investigation has been assigned to Ivan Sibula, a senior investigator who has previously led investigations into high-profile aviation incidents in Russia.
His team investigated the 2014 crash of a private jet at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport that killed Christoph de Margerie, CEO of French oil giant Total. Sibula also investigated the fire and emergency landing of Aeroflot Flight 1492, which killed 41 people.
The Investigative Committee is currently considering the incident as a violation of flight safety leading to deaths - a criminal offence in Russia.
The area around the crash site of Mr Prigozhin’s plane has been cordoned off by authorities. Journalists covering the incident said the search for evidence continued day and night.
Who is behind the accident?
Russian officials have not confirmed the existence of any foul play, but there is much speculation inside and outside Russia.
Moscow's critics have been quick to accuse it of killing Mr Prigozhin in revenge for his leadership of a brief uprising two months ago.
When asked about Mr Prigozhin's death, US President Joe Biden told reporters: "There's not much that happens in Russia that Mr Putin isn't behind." However, Mr Biden also admitted that he himself did not know for sure what happened.
The Pentagon has denied initial media reports that an anti-aircraft missile may have brought down the plane. The Defense Department has deemed that theory “incorrect,” spokesman Patrick Ryder said. However, the military believes it is likely that Prigozhin died in the crash, he added.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on August 25 that Western attempts to accuse the Russian government were “complete lies” and not based on any truth.
Sources cited by Russian media have suggested that the plane may have been destroyed in mid-air by a planted bomb. Some have suggested that Mr Prigozhin's personal pilot, who was not on board and is believed to be missing, may have been the culprit.
Recognition and Rebellion
The Wagner chief was awarded Russia’s highest state decoration last year for his role in the Ukraine campaign. His June uprising was quashed under a Belarus-brokered deal that allowed Prigozhin and soldiers loyal to him to leave Russia.
Shortly before the plane crash, Prigozhin announced that he planned to focus on operations in Africa, where the Wagner Group has a strong presence.
