Vladimir Putin Saw Plans to Kill Wagner Group’s Prigozhin: Report
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Salma Hossein
- . December 23, 2023
- . Update: December 23, 2023 6:53 pm
Russia security council secretary Nikolai Patrushev gave the go ahead for the killing of Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, with the plans seen by President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin had earlier brushed off similar claims as absolute lies. Prigozhin death in a mysterious plane crash made headlines in late June 2023 after the Wagner mercenaries attempted armed mutiny against the Russian army. He had called for the ouster of Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu and chief of the general staff Valery Gerasimov. Shoigu had ordered the Wagner soldiers to sign new contracts directly with the Russian ministry.
Prigozhin was also a strong critic of the Russia’s war in Ukraine. He called out Moscow’s lies to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and was nothing more than a land grab. Patrushev had warned Putin about the Wagner boss as he became increasingly outspoken against Russia’s military leadership and Ukraine war.
How Was Wagner Chief Killed?
According to the report, Patrushev with the help of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko negotiated a deal for Prigozhin and his mercenaries to stand down. The Wagner chief resumed work as normal with his group.
Patrushev designed a plan to dispose of Prigozhin for good in August, and he shared the proposal with Putin. The Russian president didn’t object. Rolf Mowatt-Larsson, a former CIA chief in Moscow, said Putin’s plan was to keep the dead man walking so they could continue to find out what happened.
Intelligence officials believe that as Prigozhin waited in a Moscow airport, in August, for an aircraft safety check to finish a small bomb was placed under the plane’s wing. On that fateful day of August 23, videos show a plane missing a wing as it falls from the sky near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver region. Reports said the aircraft’s wing blew apart when it climbed 28,000 feet, sending the plane plummeting. All 10 on board, including Prigozhin, were killed.
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Russia Brushes Off Report
The Kremlin brushed off the latest report, calling it pulp fiction. Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, said they have seen the material. “But we would not like to comment on it. It is unlikely that such materials can be commented on.”
Experts say Prigozhin was never close enough to Putin to be trusted with anything on a state level.
