- Kremlin calls accusations it killed Wagner boss Prigozhin an 'absolute lie'

The Kremlin has responded to Western claims that Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed on its orders, calling it an “absolute lie.” However, they have not definitively confirmed his death and are waiting for test results. The Russian aviation authority has stated that Prigozhin was on board a private jet that crashed with no survivors. President Putin expressed his condolences and spoke of Prigozhin in the past tense. He mentioned that preliminary information suggests Prigozhin and his associates were killed and acknowledged that Prigozhin made some mistakes. Western politicians and commentators have speculated that Putin ordered Prigozhin’s killing as punishment for his failed mutiny against army chiefs. The Kremlin spokesman dismissed these accusations as false and emphasized the need for facts to be established through investigation. Russian investigators are currently probing the crash and have not yet determined the cause or officially confirmed the identities of the recovered bodies. The Kremlin is awaiting the official test results before making any further statements or decisions regarding Prigozhin’s funeral. British military intelligence and the Pentagon believe it is highly likely that Prigozhin was killed. The investigation is focusing on the possibility of bombs being planted on the plane. The future of the Wagner Group, which is now leaderless, remains uncertain. The Kremlin spokesperson stated that they have no information on the matter.