Kremlin Says Prigozhin's Plane Crash Was 'Probably Deliberate'

On Wednesday, September 8, the Kremlin announced that the results of the investigation into the plane crash carrying Yevgeny Prigozhin, which resulted in the death of the leader of the 'Wagner' mercenary group and nine other passengers, indicate the possibility of deliberate action behind the incident. This is the first time the Russian government has clearly acknowledged that Prigozhin may have been murdered. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, told reporters on Wednesday that various interpretations of the air disaster are being considered, including one of 'intentional cruelty.' The private jet carrying Prigozhin, which was en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg, crashed last Wednesday in an area north of Moscow. The deceased included two other senior leaders of the 'Wagner' group, four of Prigozhin's personal guards, and three crew members. The cause of the crash is still unclear, but villagers near the crash site reported hearing a loud noise and then witnessing the plane's descent. U.S. officials previously stated that the plane carrying Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner paramilitary group, crashed as a result of a conspiracy to assassinate him. According to initial assessments from Washington, which officials emphasized is still incomplete, a bomb exploded on the plane carrying Prigozhin or some other form of sabotage caused its crash. This incident occurred exactly two months after Prigozhin and his forces captured the city of 'Rostov' in southern Russia in a rebellion against the government of Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. The 'Wagner' group ultimately retreated. Meanwhile, a Brazilian news agency reported that Russia has informed Brazil's aviation investigation agency that it is currently not conducting an investigation into the crash of the jet made in that country under international regulations. A Ukrainian drone attack on an airport in Russia grounded four Ilyushin aircraft. Kremlin: Putin will not attend the funeral of Yevgeny Prigozhin. Canada considers 'cyberattacks from Iran and Russia' a threat to its security.