Russian President, Vladimir Putin has addressed the reported demise of Wagner Boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin for the first time, offering condolences to the families of the 10 people who were aboard Yevgeny’s business jet.
Yevgeny was reportedly killed when the Embraer aircraft carrying him and nine others crashed on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 evening near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver Region.
It was reported that the aircraft crashed on its way to St Petersburg from Moscow.
Putin did not directly confirm that Prigozhin, who was listed as a passenger on the plane, had died.
“It is always a tragedy. Indeed, if employees of the Wagner company were there, and the preliminary data indicate they were, I would like to note that these people made a significant contribution to our common cause of combating the neo-Nazi regime in Ukraine, we remember this, we know it and we shall not forget.
Vladimir Putin
In a televised speech, which came almost 24 hours after the incident, Putin said that he had known Prigozhin since the early 1990s.
“He was a man of complicated fate, and he made serious mistakes in his life, but he achieved the right results,” Putin said.
Putin added that Prigozhin “achieved the needed results both for himself and for a joint effort that I had asked him about during the last months.”
Putin also described Prigozhin as a talented businessman.
“He was a talented person, a talented businessman, he worked not only in our country, and worked with results, but also abroad, in Africa in particular. He was involved there with oil, gas, precious metals and stones.”
Vladimir Putin
He said that Prigozhin had returned to Russia from Africa on Wednesday and had met “some officials”, without specifying whom.
Additionally, Putin disclosed that the Investigative Committee has begun a preliminary investigation into the plane crash.
Noting that it would take some time, Putin said that it was necessary to await the outcome of the official investigation.
“And it will be carried out in full, and taken right to the end. There are no doubts about this,” he added.
“Let’s see what the investigators say in the near future. And now, expert examinations, technical examinations and genetic ones are being carried out. This takes some time.”
Vladimir Putin
“We Had Nothing To Do With It”
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized on Thursday, August 24, 2023, that his country was not involved in the reported death of Russian mercenary Chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
“We had nothing to do with it. Everybody realises who has something to do with it,” Zelenskyy said.
Lithuania’s President, Gitanas Nauseda also stated that Prigozhin’s presumed death if true, does not change much for his country.
The reported death of the Wagner chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, does not improve regional security, Nauseda said, adding that fighters from the Russian mercenary group remained in Ukraine’s neighbour, Belarus.
“It demonstrates that the [Russian] regime is entering another stage and that these people, whatever you may call them, are now killing each other, but we should certainly not think that this death of Prigozhin makes us feel calmer or that it somehow improves the security situation.”
Gitanas Nauseda
In a video address late Thursday, Denis Kapustin, Commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), a group of Russians who fight for Ukraine, called on Wagner mercenaries to switch sides and join their ranks to avenge the reported death of Prigozhin and Wagner Commander Dmitry Utkin, who was also on the doomed plane.
“You are facing a serious choice now. You can stand in a stall of Russia’s defence ministry and serve as watchdogs for executors of your commanders or take revenge,” Kapustin said.
