
Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is buried in private, ending his tumultuous journey
The Kremlin said earlier that President Vladimir Putin wasn’t planning to attend the funeral
The Kremlin said earlier that President Vladimir Putin wasn’t planning to attend the funeral
Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement that forensic and genetic testing identified all 10 bodies recovered at the site of Wednesday’s crash
Prigozhin, whose brutal fighters were feared in Ukraine, Africa and Syria, was eulogized by President Vladimir Putin, even as suspicions grew that the Russian leader was behind the accident that many saw as an assassination
Their deaths range from the exotic — from drinking polonium-laced tea or touching a deadly nerve agent — to the more mundane of getting shot at close range
Drawn by natural resources, the mercenary corporation operates in Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, and Mali, where they strive to spread Russian influence and enrich the Kremlin
US intelligence and some Russian media point to an attack on the plane in which the Wagner leader was traveling. ‘He was a man of difficult fate, and he made serious mistakes in life,’ said the Russian president
The list of the deceased includes the firm’s second-in-command, its head of logistics and other senior officials. Two pilots and a stewardess were also killed
President Putin on Thursday expressed his condolences to the families of those who were reported to be aboard the jet and referred to ‘serious mistakes’ by Prigozhin, who led an insurrection against the Russian military two months prior to his death
After his death, Putin will be at peace with the mutineers, but it will be a new setback for the Kremlin
The Wagner company has played a decisive role in the war in Ukraine, where it has managed to maintain control of Russian positions in Donbas
The crash immediately raised suspicions, since the fate of the founder of the Wagner private military company has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he led a brief armed rebellion against the Russian military two months ago
The head of the Russian paramilitary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been meeting with representatives from Mali, the Central African Republic and Niger. The United States, meanwhile, is attempting to block the Wagner Group from profiting from African mines
The destabilization in the African region poses a higher threat of jihadist terrorism and increased flows of migrants to Europe
The Russian leader is trying to seduce African countries at a summit held in Saint Petersburg where the Wagner Group’s boss made an appearance
While many people in the capital of Niamey went about their usual business, it remained unclear who was in control of the country and which side the majority might support
Messaging app channels linked to Prigozhin’s Wagner private military company said he spoke to his troops at a field camp in Belarus and ran a blurry video purported to show him speaking there
Belaruski Hajun, a Belarusian activist group that monitors troop movements in Belarus, said a convoy of more than 100 vehicles carrying Russian flags and Wagner insignia entered the country on Monday
The Wagner head has not commented on the meeting with Putin, and his ultimate fate remains unclear, as he could still face prosecution for financial wrongdoing or other charges
The crisis in Russia over Wagner’s mutiny has revealed the complex network of troops working in and outside of the country. The Kremlin helped create a system that has now turned against him
The failed rebellion of Wagner’s mercenaries has shown the cracks in the Russian leader’s power. In addition to the war in Ukraine, the president faces international pressure, faltering domestic support and a bleak economic outlook
The images provided by Planet Labs PLC suggest that dozens of tents were erected within the past two weeks at a former military base outside Osipovichi, a town 230 kilometers (142 miles) north of the Ukrainian border
Prigozhin and his fighters escaped prosecution and were offered refuge in Belarus by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who said his country could use their experience and expertise
It’s not clear whether Surovikin faces any charges or where he is being held, reflecting the opaque world of the Kremlin’s politics and uncertainty after the revolt
The Russian president came out of the crisis caused by the Wagner rebellion weakened, but he has not yet been defeated. He has merely avoided a decisive fall
Officials also claim there are indications other Russian generals may have supported Prigozhin’s attempt to forcibly change the leadership of the Defense Ministry
Following the aborted uprising, it remains unclear where Prigozhin’s 20,000-25,000 mercenaries are deployed and what their next move will be after their leader’s exile
Those prisoners agreeing to join the mercenary group were promised freedom after their service, but cases where these recruits are involved in violent crimes are causing alarm