Originally published August 24, 2023 10:47 am PDT
In the wake of a devastating plane crash near Moscow that claimed the lives of 10 people, including Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the private military firm Wagner, Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended his heartfelt condolences.
“Regarding the airplane crash, first of all I would like to express my sincere condolences to the families of all those who died. This is always a tragedy,” Putin stated in a recent address.
Dmitry Utkin, the Wagner commander, was also listed as a casualty, as per the Russian civilian aviation agency’s reports.
The plane went down approximately 100 miles northwest of Moscow.
Putin reminisced about his association with Prigozhin, which spans back to the ’90s.
The president remarked, “He made serious mistakes in his life,” while also acknowledging that Prigozhin “achieved the necessary results in his life, both for himself and when I asked him to do so for the common goal.”
Amidst speculation about the cause of the crash, with Wagner-linked channels suggesting potential involvement of air defenses, the official stance remains that the crash’s cause is under active investigation.
The incident has attracted increased scrutiny, given its timing—approximately two months after Prigozhin’s alleged attempt at a rebellion against Putin.
In his address, Putin also highlighted the Wagner Group’s role in combatting Nazism in Ukraine, stating, “Wagner made a significant contribution to the fight against Nazism in Ukraine; we will never forget this.”
The president reassured the public that a comprehensive investigation into the crash’s cause would be completed promptly.
