Russian President Vladimir Putin has broken his silence by sending his condolences to the family of Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin Thursday (August 24), after the mercenary leader's plane crashed with no survivors two months to the day after he led a mutiny against Russian military chiefs.
The previous official statement came from Moscow's aviation authority, saying Prigozhin was on board the downed plane.
Investigations about the crash have been opened but have not yet said how the plane suddenly fell from the sky nor have they confirmed the identities of the 10 bodies recovered from the wreckage.
Putin Sends His Condolences
In his statement, Putin suggested he harbored decidedly mixed feelings about Prigozhin, claiming he has known the warlord "since the start of the 90s." Without an official pronouncement of his death, Putin's remarks were the most definitive yet on the mercenary warlord's fate.
"I want to express my most sincere condolences to the families of all the victims. It's always a tragedy," he said in televised remarks during a meeting in the Kremlin with the Moscow-installed chief of Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.
Prigozhin's presumed death was both a blessing and a curse for Putin as a threat to his power was purportedly eliminated, but at the same time, he lost a strategic ally and asset in the Kremlin's war in Ukraine and in Wagner's operations and strategic command in Africa.
Meanwhile, officials from Washington told Reuters they are looking at a number of theories as to what likely brought down the plane, including a surface-to-air missile (SAM). However, the Pentagon was ruling out the possibility of a SAM hit.
Wagner Troops Vow to Avenge Prigozhin
While there is no concrete confirmation whether or not Prigozhin was aboard the plane that crashed and that he died as a result of it, many in the Wagner ranks have smelled treachery, betrayal, and foul play involved in the incident.
Several Russian Telegram channels shared Thursday some of the Wagner mercenaries have vowed to avenge Prigozhin after he perished alongside other members of the Wagner leadership team.
"There are rumors about the death of the head of Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin. We directly say that we suspect the Kremlin officials led by Putin of an attempt to kill him!" Wagner-linked Telegram channel Wagner Play said in a post.
However, Putin said "preliminary data" indicated that Prigozhin and other Wagner employees had been on the downed plane, but a thorough investigation might take some time.
It was previously reported the passenger list suggested Wagner's core leadership team was flying with him on the downed plane and had also perished.
