Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to the family of Yevgeny Prigozhin following the presumed plane crash that took the life of the Wagner Group leader.

The Russian President acknowledged Prigozhin as a skilled entrepreneur whom he had been acquainted with since the 1990s.

This marks the first instance in which Mr. Putin has addressed the airplane tragedy, which occurred north of Moscow yesterday and resulted in the unfortunate demise of all 10 occupants on board, Sky News reported.

If confirmed, Prigozhin’s passing would, in the short term, consolidate Mr. Putin’s position, as it removes a formidable figure who had played a significant role in the Ukraine invasion and had openly criticized Russia’s top military officials.

The commander of the private military group had orchestrated a brief insurrection in June, demanding the removal of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

This came as his forces advanced towards Moscow before ultimately aborting their march.

Among the individuals believed to have been on the aircraft were Prigozhin’s close associate Dmitry Utkin, as well as his security chief Valeriy Chekalov and other key members of the group’s leadership.

Written by staff