Putin’s condolences to the family of ‘talented’ Wagner chiff who ‘made mistakes’

Wagner Group issue statement after death of Yevgeny Prigozhin

Vladimir Putin sent his condolences to the family of Yevgeny Prigozhin yesterday and praised him as a “talented businessman”.

But the Russian tyrant – suspected of being behind the Wagner warlord’s death in a plane crash on Wednesday – added chillingly that his former right-hand man had made “serious mistakes in his life”.

Putin’s televised comments came as American officials appeared to support claims the private jet, carrying Prigozhin and other top Wagner Group commanders, could have been destroyed by a missile – fired from inside Russia.

The president wanted for questioning over war crimes in Ukraine, said of the crash: “I want to express sincere condolences to the families of all those who died.

“It is always a tragedy…I want to note that those people made a significant contribution to our common cause of fighting the Nazi regime in Ukraine. We remember this, we know this and we will not forget this.”

READ MORE ‘Deliberate explosion’ was cause of Wagner plane crash – US intelligence

He added: “I knew Prigozhin for many years, since the beginning of the 1990s. He was a person with a complicated background.

“He made serious mistakes in his life and he achieved the necessary results, both for himself and, when I asked him, for the common cause, as during the past few months.

“He was a talented person, a talented businessman. He worked not only in our country, and with good results too, but abroad too, in Africa in particular.”

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky denied his country was involved in the death crash. He said: “We have nothing to do with it. Everyone understands who is involved.”

Putin said a preliminary investigation was underway. All 10 people on the plane were reported dead after it was downed near the village of Kuzhenkino, in Russia’s western Tver region.

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Police had yesterday cordoned off the crash site as investigators studied the wreckage and bodies were taken away. Russian social media channels reported they were burned beyond recognition.

But it was also reported that Prigozhin’s corpse was identified by his finger – part of which was lost when he served time in a penal colony. His supporters claimed the jet was deliberately downed by an air defence missile or targeted by a bomb on board.

US and Western officials said a preliminary US intelligence assessment has found the crash was intentionally caused by an explosion. One said the blast fell in line with Putin’s “long history of trying to silence his critics”.

When Prigozhin led his short-lived mutiny against Putin’s generals in June, his Wagner forces were cheered and clapped as they got to within striking distance of Moscow. And Lord Dannatt, former head of the British Army, warned his death could cause a “split in Russian society”.

But others believe if Putin did order the jet to be destroyed, it strengthens the position of General Valery Gerasimov, who is in charge of the Ukraine war, and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

Prigozhin had attacked both men over a perceived lack of support for Wagner forces. But his mutiny was seen as a move against Putin.

John Foreman, former British defence attaché in Moscow, believes Prigozhin’s mercenary army has been “decapitated”. He said: “The Wagner Group has no money and no leadership. They’re just a bunch of disillusioned men.”

He added: “Putin’s rule has been dramatically weakened by the last 18 months but the unpleasant truth is he is still in charge and he still has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal at his disposal. There is life in the old dog yet.”

Conservative MP Bob Seely told the Daily Express: “This is definitely Vladimir Putin warning anyone who wants to challenge him.

“This is him saying, ‘If I can do it to Prigozhin, just think what I can do to you’.”

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