PARIS: The cause of death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Russian mercenary force Wagner, who, along with 10 other passengers, was killed when a private jet crashed north of Moscow a day earlier, remains unclear.
However, a prevailing belief among experts postulates that his demise may reflect President Vladimir Putin’s response to his brief insurgency in June, in which he attempted to topple Russia’s military leadership.
The head of the private military company met his fate aboard a plane tragically crashed on Wednesday as Russian authorities confirmed the loss of all passengers.
Russian online narratives connected to both opposition factions and Wagner have echoed the interpretations laid forth by Western think tanks. These sources perceive Prigozhin’s fate as sealed following his abortive Moscow endeavor two months ago.
“Regardless of the cause behind the plane’s crash, the general consensus will likely view this as an act of reprisal and vengeance. The Kremlin is unlikely to significantly contest this perspective,” remarked Tatiana Stanovaya, the founder of R.Politik consultancy.
