Putin Cover-Up: Engineer Behind 'Repairs' to Prigozhin Private Jet Under Investigation After Fatal Bombing
Vladimir Putin broke his silence on Yevgeny Priogozhin's suspected death this week.
An engineer named Sergey Kitrish, 41, is reportedly being interrogated by Russian authorities in connection with the doomed plane of Yevgeny Prigozhin, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The plane, which exploded in mid-air exactly two months after Prigozhin's failed coup, resulted in the death of all ten people on board. The circumstances surrounding the crash have raised suspicions of foul play by Russian President Vladimir Putin, with a possible bomb planted during last-minute repairs.
Exactly two months after the Wagner boss's failed coup, his private plane was blasted 28,000ft out of the sky.
According to the Moscow-based Telegram channel VChK-OGPU, which has links to the Russian security services, Kitrish was taken into custody shortly after the explosion and has been under interrogation ever since. He was questioned by leading crash investigator Col. Ivan Sibul, and the authorities are currently deciding his fate.
New details about the repairs carried out on the plane before the crash have emerged. One of Prigozhin's flight attendants had complained about waiting for unexplained repairs to be completed.
Investigators have discovered that a turbo-refrigerator "of unknown origin" was fitted on the jet at the last minute. It is believed that a bomb could have been hidden in a wine crate during these repairs.
Sources warned Prigozhin to be 'very careful what he eats' and 'where he goes' because Putin 'would be plotting' to kill the mercenary chief.
In addition to Kitrish, two other engineers involved in the repairs have been identified as Artur Michenkov and Aleksey Anshukov. Their roles in the incident are not yet clear.
Another person of interest in the case is Alexandra Yulina, a business executive who was present on the plane before its final flight.
Yulina, the boss of VIP airline Rusjet, was inspecting the Embraer Legacy 600 with the intention of purchasing it. Footage shows her inspection of the aircraft, which took place eight hours before the crash. It has been reported that Yulina was falsely registered as a passenger and was allowed on board, raising concerns about a possible security breach.
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'I want to express sincere condolences to the families of all those who died,' Putin said on Thursday. 'It is always a tragedy.'
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, the investigation into the crash is still ongoing. The plane's black boxes have been found and are currently being examined. DNA tests are also being conducted on the charred remains of the ten victims. The Russian Investigative Committee has stated that all possible versions of what happened will be carefully investigated.
The death of Prigozhin has sent shockwaves through the Russian elites, as there are fears that President Putin may order the assassination of anyone who opposes him. Prigozhin had led a coup against Putin in June, criticizing the efforts of his top war commanders.
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The plane manager, who accompanied Yulina and Rusjet technical director Sergey Klokotov during their visit to the plane, insisted that no items were left in the cabin. However, she admitted that there were technical problems that required repairs before the flight, leading to a delay of over a day.
The turbo-cooler, originally imported from the US, evading sanctions, was damaged, and a substitute part of unknown origin was used.
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