Putin will not attend Prigozhin's funeral, Kremlin confirms
Russian President Vladimir Putin has no intention of attending the funeral of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner private military group, who died in a plane crash last week, according to the Kremlin's announcement on Tuesday.
Prigozhin was aboard a private Embraer Legacy 600 jet en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg when it crashed in the Tver region north of Moscow on August 23. The tragic incident claimed the lives of all 10 individuals on board, including two other high-ranking Wagner leaders and four individuals believed to be Prigozhin's bodyguards.
Although the exact cause of the plane crash remains unclear, eyewitnesses in the vicinity of the crash site informed Reuters that they heard an explosion before witnessing the aircraft descending to the ground.
When queried about Putin's potential attendance at Prigozhin's funeral, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed reporters that "The presence of the president is not envisaged." Peskov added that the Kremlin lacked specific details regarding the funeral arrangements and that these decisions rested with the deceased's family.
In the aftermath of the crash, Putin expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and acknowledged a long-standing acquaintance with Prigozhin dating back to the tumultuous early 1990s. Putin stated, "He had a complicated fate, and he made significant mistakes in life," while also acknowledging his business acumen.
This crash occurred precisely two months after Prigozhin and his mercenaries initiated a mutiny against top military commanders loyal to Putin. This mutiny led to their brief takeover of the southern city of Rostov and an advance towards Moscow before retreating 200 km (125 miles) from the capital.
The mutiny posed one of the most substantial challenges to Putin's rule since he assumed power in December 1999. The Kremlin vehemently denied the notion that Putin ordered Prigozhin's killing as an act of revenge, dismissing it as an "absolute lie."
Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden remarked that he was unsurprised by Prigozhin's death, insinuating that very little happens in Russia without Putin's involvement.
On Sunday, investigators confirmed through genetic testing that Prigozhin was among the crash's fatalities. The plane also carried Dmitry Utkin, Wagner's co-founder and chief military commander, as well as Valery Chekalov, the head of Wagner's logistics.
Russia's Fontanka media outlet reported on Tuesday that associates of Chekalov had congregated at St. Petersburg's Severnoye cemetery for his funeral.
