It’s too early to comment on Prigozhin plane crash as investigation is going on: Kremlin

Sep 15, 2023

Moscow [Russia], September 15 : The Kremlin said that it is too early to comment on the death of Wagner Private Military Company chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash as investigations are still going on, CNN reported on Friday.
“An investigation is ongoing, so it would be premature to give any comments now," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said. 
He said that the investigation into the incident is really complex and added, “This is a complex investigation, a complex incident.”
On August 23, Prigozhin died in an airplane crash in Russia’s western Tver region exactly two months after leading an abortive mutiny on Moscow that posed the greatest threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s authority in his 23 years in power.
Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation agency, said at the time that it had launched an investigation into “the circumstances and causes of the accident.” Russia’s Investigative Committee also launched a criminal probe.
CNN reviewed flight data and videos and interviewed aviation and explosive experts, to piece together what happened in the minutes leading up to the crash. The analysis suggests that the private aircraft experienced at least one “catastrophic inflight incident” before it dropped out of the sky. But available video did not show that catastrophic event.
Earlier, the Kremlin has said a “premeditated villainous act” is one line of inquiry that investigators are currently pursuing, Russia's state media TASS reported.
Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov's remarks came in response to a media query on Wednesday about whether the investigation could feature an international dimension.
"The circumstances are different now. In this case, there is a completely different situation involving this airplane crash. Since there are no conclusions from the investigators yet, I cannot word it with precision, but it is obvious that there are different lines of inquiry, with - you know what we are talking about - let's say, a premeditated villainous act being among them," the Kremlin spokesman said.
He urged the media to wait for the official findings of the current investigation being carried out by the Investigative Committee of Russia, TASS reported.
"The investigation is underway. The Investigative Committee is in charge. This is an entirely Russian investigation. No international aspect is on the agenda," Peskov emphasized.
The funeral of Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin — who was killed in a plane crash in August was held privately "in a closed format,” CNN reported.
However, Concord Management, the company Prigozhin owned didn’t specify when the funeral took place.
Video and images showed that Prigozhin had been buried next to his father. Images analyzed by CNN show a headstone next to Prigozhin's burial site that reads: "Viktor Evgenievich Prigozhin 1935-1970.
"Notably, Prigozhin was confirmed dead by Russian investigators on August 27. He was among the 10 people killed when their plane crashed on August 23.
The crash came exactly two months after Prigozhin — who was once called President Vladimir Putin's "personal chef" — led an armed insurrection against the Russian leader.
Prigozhin, whose fighters secured “rare victories” for the Kremlin on the battlefield, had railed against the country’s military brass over their handling of the Ukraine war, according to CNN.