Kremlin: Putin Will Not Attend the Funeral of Yevgeny Prigozhin

Several members of the Wagner mercenary group participated on Tuesday, August 29, in the funeral of one of Yevgeny Prigozhin's deputies who was killed alongside him in a plane crash. According to Reuters, the Kremlin announced that Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, does not intend to attend the funeral of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the deceased leader of the Wagner mercenaries. Prigozhin was killed on August 23 following the crash of a private jet along with other passengers, including two other senior leaders of the Wagner group and his bodyguards. The plane, which was en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg, crashed in the Tver region northwest of Moscow. The cause of the crash is still unclear, but villagers near the scene told Reuters they heard a loud noise and then saw the jet fall. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, stated that there is no specific information about the funeral arrangements for Yevgeny Prigozhin, and the logistics of the ceremony are the responsibility of his relatives. The plane crash and the death of Prigozhin occurred two months after he and Wagner forces staged a rebellion, demanding the dismissal of two senior Russian military commanders and seizing control of the city of Rostov. However, the forces suddenly halted 200 kilometers from the Russian capital and returned to their bases. Following this event, it was reported that the advance of Wagner forces was halted through the mediation of Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus. Also see: Lukashenko: I told Prigozhin to take care of himself, he said: To hell with it, let me die. Prigozhin's rebellion is considered the biggest challenge to Vladimir Putin's rule since 1999, when he became Prime Minister of Russia under Boris Yeltsin. Several Western politicians and commentators have claimed that Putin personally ordered the assassination of Yevgeny Prigozhin in retaliation for the Wagner forces' military actions, but the Kremlin has denied this. Joe Biden, the President of the United States, stated that he was not surprised by Prigozhin's death, adding that Putin is behind most events in Russia. Russia confirmed Prigozhin's death based on 'genetic testing' and reported the discovery of 'flight data recording equipment from Prigozhin's plane.' Initial U.S. assessments of how Prigozhin was killed; Putin expressed condolences. Biden's reaction to the crash of the Wagner leader's plane: I was not surprised by his death. The end of the story of the 'controversial Wagner commander'; Prigozhin's death confirmed. Reports of the death of the founder of the Wagner mercenary group in a plane crash in Russia.