“Prigozhin could have been quietly poisoned and he would have died of a heart attack .... it was... a show of uncompromising control.'
FILE - In this image taken from video released by Razgruzka_Vagnera telegram channel on Aug. 21, 2023, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company speaks to a camera at an unknown location. Prigozhin made his name as the profane and brutal mercenary boss who mounted an armed rebellion that was the most severe and shocking challenge to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s rule.
Oreshkin said the downing a private jet seemed to be a strong message to scare Russian elites into submission. He said it could have taken two months to act because Prigozhin was well-protected by his security and Russian spy agencies were waiting for the right opportunity. “They could have worked on it for a long time and had the opportunity only now,” Gallyamov said.
Prigozhin’s jet was tracked flying among the cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Belarus in the weeks following the mutiny, and Wagner had raised its profile in Africa, hectic activity that led to speculation Putin considered thewho over the years had won lucrative Kremlin contracts too valuable to discard quickly.
Oreshkin said authorities might have opted for using the plane crash to decapitate Wagner to prevent any threat his lieutenants might pose. Reports this week said Gen. Sergei Surovikin, who had links with Prigozhin, was dismissed as air force chief following what Russian media described as a two-month investigation into his possible connection to the mutiny — a signal authorities were methodically trying to uproot any dissent in the ranks.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin killed in plane crash with nine others, Russian authorities sayThe chief of Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeniy Prigozhin, is believed to have been killed in a plane crash, Russian state media reported Wednesday. The aircraft, a business jet, crashed northwest of Moscow, with all 10 people onboard killed, according to Russia’s state news agency TASS. Prigozhin was on its list of passengers. This is a breaking news story, please…
Read more »
Plane crash in Russia kills 10, officials say; Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin reportedly on passenger listEarlier this week, Prigozhin appeared in his first video since leading a failed mutiny against Russian commanders in June.
Read more »
Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin believed to have been killed in Russian plane crashRussian paramilitary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is believed to have been killed after a plane in which he was 'listed among the passengers' crashed in Russia on Wednesday, according to state media.
Read more »
Jet crash in Russia kills 10, Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was on passenger listPrigozhin, whose private military force Wagner fought alongside Russia’s regular army in Ukraine, mounted a short-lived armed mutiny against Russia’s military leadership in late June.
Read more »
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin on passenger list of jet crash in Russia that killed 10The plane was believed to be carrying three pilots and seven passengers.
Read more »