Vladimir Putin has broken his silence following the reported death of Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and some of his top lieutenants yesterday.<\/p>\n
He said: “Early data indicates Wagner employees were in the plane. I think Wagner made a significant contribution in fighting nazism in Ukraine. Prigozhin was a talented man, but had a difficult fate.”<\/p>\n
Putin sent his condolences to the founder of Russia’s Wagner group Prigozhin’s family.<\/p>\n
The founder of the Wagner military company and six other passengers were on a private jet that crashed Wednesday soon after taking off from Moscow with a crew of three, according to Russia\u2019s civil aviation authority. Rescuers found 10 bodies, and Russian media cited anonymous sources in Wagner who said Prigozhin was dead.<\/p>\n
But there has been no official confirmation. If the deaths are confirmed, the crash would be the most serious blow the group has ever suffered to its leadership. The passenger manifest included Prigozhin and his second-in-command who baptized the group with his nom de guerre, as well as Wagner\u2019s logistics chief, a fighter wounded by U.S. airstrikes in Syria and at least one possible bodyguard.<\/p>\n
It was not clear why several high-ranking members of Wagner, including top leaders who are normally exceedingly careful about their security, were on the same flight. The purpose of their joint trip to St. Petersburg was unknown.<\/p>\n