After a plane crash claimed the life of Wagner mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin last week, a video of him a few days before his death has gone viral on social media. In the video, Prigozhin speaks on the threats to his life and his well-being in Africa.
A video shared by Anton Gerashchenko, advisor to the Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs, on X (formerly Twitter) shows the mercenary leader dressed in camouflage clothing and a hat, talking about his well-being in a moving vehicle.
“For those discussing whether I am alive or not and how I am doing, it’s the weekend, the second half of August 2023, I am in Africa. So fans of discussing my death, intimate life, earnings etc., I am doing fine,” he was heard saying in the video.
The video has set off an intense discussion on the social media platform. “”Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated” – famous last words!” said one X user.
“We’re expecting more videos of Prihozhin not long after his death. Especially regarding intimate life, earnings etc,” another user commented. “Is this from beyond? I hope it is,” said another person.
‘Deliberate wrongdoing’ behind Prigozhin’s death
The Kremlin on Wednesday said that ‘deliberate wrongdoing’s is among the possible causes behind the plane crash that killed Wagner mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin last week. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that “different versions” of what happened are being considered, including “let’s put this way, deliberate wrongdoing”.
Prigohzin, who reportedly received the country’s highest award for leading forces in Ukraine, was laid to rest on Tuesday, where President Vladimir Putin chose not to attend in order to keep the funeral low-profile and more ‘secret’.
Prigozhin was confirmed dead after a genetic analysis of the ten bodies found in plane crash. The victims include several senior figures in Wagner, including Dmitry Utkin, who allegedly co-founded the mercenary group and managed its military operations. The plane was flown by pilot Alexei Levshin and co-pilot Rustam Karimov, and there was one flight attendant, Kristina Raspopova.
Who killed Prigozhin?
Prigozhin was confirmed dead after a genetic analysis of the ten bodies found in plane crash. The victims include several senior figures in Wagner, including Dmitry Utkin, who allegedly co-founded the mercenary group and managed its military operations. The plane was flown by pilot Alexei Levshin and co-pilot Rustam Karimov, and there was one flight attendant, Kristina Raspopova.
Flight data shows the plane reached an altitude of some 28,000 feet before it suddenly stopped transmitting tracking details. As per Flightradar24, there was “no indication that there was anything wrong with the aircraft” before it witnessed a dramatic drop.
Meanwhile, Putin, who addressed the nation a day after the plane crash, broke his silence on the matter and called him a ‘talented businessman’. “This was a person with a complicated fate, and he made serious mistakes in life but also sought to achieve the necessary results – both for himself and at times when I asked him to, for the common cause, such as in these recent months,” said the Russian President.
In June, Russia witnessed a series of dramatic events after Prigozhin called for mutiny. Multiple videos showed Wagner fighters capturing the city of Rostov before racing north in convoy, transporting tanks and armoured trucks and smashing through barricades set up to stop them. It was averted with the help of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
ALSO READ | ‘Deliberate wrongdoing’ among possible causes of plane crash that killed Wagner boss Prigozhin: Kremlin