Conspiracy theories that Wagner’s boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, might still be alive have begun to gain ground after a second private jet linked to the mercenary leader was seen flying towards Moscow.
Prigozhin, who led a failed coup against the Kremlin’s top brass less than two months ago, was listed as one of 10 passengers aboard the Embraer plane that crashed on Wednesday with no survivors.
While a Telegram channel linked to Wagner shared the news of the fatal accident, the Kremlin and the Russian Defense Ministry had no comment, sparking rumors that Prigozhin faked his death.
Speculation has grown that Prigozhin may have evaded the fiery fate after news spread that a second private plane linked to the Wagner group landed safely in St. Petersburg around the same time as the crash.
The images showed the second plane, an Embraer ERJ-135BJ Legacy 650 jet, landing safely at Ostafyevo airport, the Sun reported.
Conspiracy theories that Wagner’s boss, Yevgeny Prigozhin, might still be alive have begun to gain traction.AP
It is not the first time that Prigozhin, 62, has been mistakenly believed to be dead. Last month, a former top US military leader speculated that Prigozhin was dead or in jail, following a highly publicized meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin after his failed rebellion, a meeting that was likely faked.
Prigozhin also previously faked his own death in Africa in 2019 before showing his face again three days later.
Who was the leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin?
Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin as a talented businessman after the plane crash that apparently killed him.
Prigozhin was the owner of the private military contractor Wagner Group.
Prigozhin planned to capture the top officials of the Russian army during his attempted coup.
Prigozhin and his mercenary fighting force did not face charges and were instead exiled despite leading an armed insurrection against the Kremlin.
Fire engulfs the plane after the crash. TELEGRAM/ @grey_zone/AFP via Getty Images
Prigozhin began his career as a petty criminal: he was convicted of robbery and assault in 1981 and served 12 years in prison.
He criticized the Russian Defense Ministry as incompetent and accused it of withholding arms and ammunition from his troops, who were fighting on Russia’s behalf in Ukraine.
Prigozhin was accused in the United States of interfering in the 2016 presidential election through his infamous Internet “troll factory.”
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A Russia expert from the UK-based Chatham House think tank, Keir Giles, speculated that Wagner’s boss could soon reappear.
“Several people have changed their name to Yevgeny Prigozhin, as part of their efforts to hide their travels,” he told the Sun. “Don’t be surprised if he appears in a new video from Africa shortly.”
Prigozhin, who led a failed coup against the Kremlin’s top brass less than two months ago, was listed as one of 10 passengers aboard the Embraer plane that crashed on Wednesday.
in a separate interview with Sky NewsGiles noted: “This is a man who took his safety very seriously, even before he became a marked man marching on Moscow.”
The bodies of the 10 passengers were taken for forensic examination in an effort to identify them.
President Biden said he was not surprised by the fatal crash of a plane that appeared to have an enemy of Putin on board.
Prigozhin has been mistakenly believed to have been dead before, including in 2019 when he faked his death in Africa. TELEGRAM/ @grey_zone/AFP via Getty Images
“I don’t know for sure what happened. But I’m not surprised,” Biden told reporters. “It doesn’t happen much in Russia that Putin isn’t behind it, but I don’t know enough to know the answer.”
The plane burst into flames upon impact, according to the state agency, accused of spreading Russian propaganda during the Ukraine war.
The investigation of the accident is under the “personal control” of the governor of the Tver region, Igor Rudenya, according to TASS.
The plane crash is under investigation. TELEGRAM/ @grey_zone/AFP via Getty Images
The accident comes just two days after Prigozhin shared his first video speech since leading his military group in a mutiny against Putin on June 24, marching on Moscow before the effort was canceled some 100 miles before reaching the capital and the troops agreed to turn around. and return to the front in Ukraine.
Unverified footage of the camouflaged mercenary carrying an assault weapon appeared on Telegram channels affiliated with the Wagner Group on Tuesday.
“Wagner’s PMC (private military company) makes Russia even greater on all continents and Africa even freer,” the oligarch said in the video, which included a phone number for recruits.
Neither the Kremlin nor the Defense Ministry have commented on Prigozhin’s status. PA
Prior to the video, Prigozhin had kept a low profile since the June 24 riot.
Wagner has suffered heavy losses in the conflict, where he leads the assault on Bakhmut. Since Prigozhin’s forces marched on Moscow, Putin has denounced him as a “traitor.”
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a peace deal between Putin and Prigozhin, who agreed to call off the march in exchange for pardons for himself and his troops.
Prigozhin has kept a low profile since his failed mutiny against Putin. TELEGRAM/ @concordgroup_official/AFP via Getty Images
Prigozhin also agreed to go into exile in Belarus, although he was still in Russia on July 6, the BBC reported.
with postal wires
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Source: vtt.edu.vn