In his initial statements following the jet crash that likely resulted in Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death, Russian President Vladimir Putin described the founder of Wagner Group as “a man of difficult fate” but also as “talented.”
During a meeting with the leader of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushilin, at the Kremlin, Putin stated, “I know Prigozhin for a very long period, since the early 1990s.
“He was a man of difficult fate and he made mistakes in life,” the president said, adding that Prigozhin had achieved the results needed” for both his own interests “and for a common cause” at Putin’s request.
He was a gifted individual and a gifted businessperson. He laboured both domestically and overseas, in Africa, Putin stated.
Prior to the incident on wednesday, Putin said that the Wagner chief had, as far as he knew, just returned from Africa. On the continent, the Wagner group has taken in a number of engagements.
According to early reports, “Wagner Group employees were also on board” the aircraft when it crashed, according to Putin.
In his statement, he expressed his sympathies to “the families of all the victims, this is always a tragedy.”
According to Putin , Wagner fighters made a significant contribution” to the Ukrainian fighting effort.
He added that the crash is being investigated by Russia’s Investigative Committee.
“This is without question. Let’s wait and see what the investigators have to say soon. And currently, technical and genetic examinations are being conducted. It will take time to complete this, said President Putin.
