On August 24, speaking on television, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Mr. Yevgeny Prigozhin had made a "significant contribution" to Russia's efforts in Ukraine.
President Putin said the head of the Wagner group was “a talented businessman”, and sent condolences to the families of those killed in the plane crash near Moscow.
Speaking to reporters at the Kremlin, President Putin recalled that he had known Prigozhin since the 1990s. He said it was necessary to wait for the results of the official investigation into the crash, adding that the examination would take some time. Based on preliminary information, "employees of the Wagner group were also on board" the crashed plane.
President Putin. (Photo: Reuters)
“ Prigozhin made serious mistakes but also managed to achieve memorable results, not only for himself but for our common cause, ” Putin added.
Mr. Putin also affirmed that Prigozhin has achieved many successes not only in Russia but also in Africa in the fields of oil and gas, precious metals and gemstones. President Putin also added that Mr. Prigozhin seemed to have just returned from Africa and had met with a number of Russian officials.
The Embraer Legacy private jet belonging to the Wagner private military company, which was flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg, crashed on the evening of August 23 local time in the Tver region of Russia.
Video: Wreckage of 'Wagner boss' plane crash found
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Services said all 10 people on board the plane were killed, including three crew members and seven passengers. The Russian air transport agency said that among the passengers was Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner company.
Several videos posted on social media show that the plane believed to be carrying Wagner leader had part of its wing broken and caught fire in the air before crashing to the ground.
Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was identified as being on board the crashed Embraer Legacy. (Photo: TASS)
Authorities are still trying to identify the bodies. The incident comes exactly two months after the Wagner rebellion against the Russian Defense Ministry. Prigozhin accused the Russian Defense Ministry of attacking the Wagner base and sent a column of troops toward Moscow, taking over the Southern Military District's military headquarters in Rostov-on-Don.
At the time, President Putin condemned the mutiny as treason and opened a criminal case against Prigozhin. However, the charges were dropped within days because Prigozhin agreed to disband most of the Wagner mercenaries and move the remainder to Belarus and Africa.
Kong Anh - Tra Khanh
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