Vladimir Putin Claims Wagner Group Leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was Possibly High on Cocaine When a Hand Grenade Detonated on Private Jet
Putin’s Western critics have accused the Russian leader of having Prigozhin killed in revenge.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said the deadly crash of Yevgeny Prigozhin's private jet may have been caused by the detonation of hand grenades when the Wagner leader was possibly high on cocaine, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Prigozhin died two months after leading a mutiny against Russia’s military leaders.
Speaking at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, Putin stated that the head of Russia's investigative committee had informed him that the plane was blown up from the inside, not shot down by a missile, as previously speculated.
The incident took place on August 23 while the plane was en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
Prigozhin was reported dead on August 23 when his private jet crashed outside Moscow.
According to the New York Post, Putin provided additional details, stating, "Fragments of hand grenades were found in the bodies of those killed in the crash. There was no external impact on the plane. This is already an established fact."
The Russian leader, however, did not explain how the grenades could have been detonated aboard the Embraer jet. He suggested that some of the passengers may have been intoxicated during the flight and expressed surprise that investigators did not test the crash victims for drugs and alcohol.
"In my opinion, such an examination should have been carried out, but it was not," Putin remarked.
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Vladimir Putin has denied having any involvement in Prigozhin's mysterious death.
The timing of the crash and its connection to Prigozhin's recent mutiny against Russia's military leaders added further intrigue to the incident.
Prigozhin, known for being the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, had led a short-lived rebellion before his death. Putin had publicly labeled him a traitor but later reached a truce with the mercenary.
In a related development, FSB raids on the Wagner Group's offices in St. Petersburg resulted in the seizure of 11 pounds of cocaine and $100 million in cash, as revealed by Putin.
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While the investigation into the cause of the crash is still ongoing, Putin's comments seem to refute claims made by the United States that the jet had been shot down by a missile.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the final report on the crash has not yet been released.
After the fiery crash in the Tver region, the Kremlin rejected the notion that Putin had Prigozhin killed as payback for his rebellion, calling the claim an "absolute lie."
The Russian leader subsequently eulogized his former ally as a "talented businessman" but added that he made some "serious mistakes."