In his first comments since the presumed plane crash that resulted in the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner Group, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to Prigozhin as a “man of difficult fate” but acknowledged his talent.
During a meeting at the Kremlin with Denis Pushilin, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, Putin shared that he had known Prigozhin since the early 90s.
Putin acknowledged that Prigozhin had made serious life mistakes, yet he added that Prigozhin had achieved necessary outcomes for both personal interests and a collective cause upon Putin’s request.
Russian president described Prigozhin as a skilled individual who had been a talented businessman not only within Russia, but also internationally, particularly in Africa.
However, President Vladimir Putin said that Prigozhin had recently returned from Africa before the crash on Wednesday. He also noted that based on preliminary information, Wagner Group employees had been on board the plane during the crash. Putin extended his condolences to the families of the victims, emphasizing the tragic nature of such events.
Additionally, Putin recognized that Wagner fighters had significantly contributed to the war effort in Ukraine. He also confirmed that Russia’s Investigative Committee was actively investigating the crash.
He expressed confidence in the investigation and mentioned ongoing technical and genetic examinations to determine the crash’s causes. Putin anticipated the investigators’ forthcoming findings while noting that these examinations would require some time.
