Putin Security Aide Nikolai Patrushev Behind Wagner Chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's Suspected Assassination: Report
Vladimir Putin’s right-hand man, security aide Nikolai Patrushev, was allegedly behind the suspected assassination of Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin earlier this year, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In a shocking development to come after Prigozhin died in a fiery plane crash outside of Moscow in August, sources revealed that Putin security aide Nikolai Patrushev was reportedly behind the sinister assassination plot.
According to an investigation launched by the Wall Street Journal after the Wagner chief’s demise, Patrushev slipped a “small explosive device” underneath the wing of Prigozhin’s private jet before he departed for St. Petersburg on August 23.
The outlet quoted a former Russian intelligence officer who claimed that Patrushev “gave orders to his assistant to proceed in shaping an operation to dispose of Prigozhin.”
Putin was reportedly “shown the [assassination] plans and didn't object.”
Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, a former CIA station chief, also commented on the investigation. Mowatt-Larssen cited Prigozhin’s failed coup two months prior as the likely reason for his assassination.
“You can see what Putin's plan was – to keep the dead man walking so they could continue to find out what happened,” the former CIA station chief said.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Moscow saw the Journal’s findings but refused to comment on the matter.
“We saw this material, but would not like to comment on it,” Peskov acknowledged. “It's unlikely that such materials can be commented on.”
Sergey Markov, a pro-Kremlin political analyst, claimed that the Journal and the West want to “discredit” Patrushev by blaming the Putin security aide for Prigozhin’s death.
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“Apparently, the West now wants negotiations on Ukraine, and for some reason, it really doesn't like Patrushev and wants to kick Patrushev out of Putin's team,” Markov said.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Prigozhin and nine others were killed on August 23 when the mercenary chief’s Embraer Legacy 600 jet crashed outside of Moscow while en route to St. Petersburg.
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Prigozhin’s suspected assassination came exactly two months after the Wagner boss launched a failed coup against Putin in Moscow on June 23.
A DNA test later confirmed that Prigozhin perished in the startling plane crash, and he was buried in St. Petersburg on August 29.
"What concerns this air crash, first of all, I want to express sincere condolences to the families of all those who died,” Putin said shortly after Prigozhin and the nine others were confirmed dead. “It is always a tragedy.”
"Indeed, if they were there and, according to the initial information, Wagner Company employees were on board, I want to note that those people made a significant contribution to our common cause of fighting the Nazi regime in Ukraine,” he continued.
"We remember this, we know this, and we will not forget this."
Other theorists believe that Prigozhin somehow avoided the suspected assassination attempt against his life and fled Russia to “plot his revenge” against Putin and Patrushev.
“Prigozhin himself was not on board. His double was flying instead of him,” a Russian analyst claimed. “Vladimir Putin is perfectly aware of that.”