Yegeni Prigozhin died when his private jet crashed over the Tver region of Russia on August 23. Photo: Prigozhin's press service
Vladimir Putin suggested that Yevgeny Prigozhin's private plane was destroyed when he or his comrades detonated a hand grenade on board, possibly while drunk or under the influence of cocaine.
“The head of the Russian investigative committee literally a few days ago told me that fragments of a hand grenade were found in the bodies of the dead,” he said.
Putin criticized investigators for failing to conduct alcohol and drug tests on Prigozhin and nine other victims of the disaster.
He also said five kilograms of cocaine were found in Wagner's office after a brief mutiny by a group of mercenaries. .
“The investigation is not yet completed. The presence of alcohol or drugs in the blood was not established, but, unfortunately, such tests were not carried out,” he said.
“Although we know that after the incident, the FSB discovered not only 10 billion in cash from a company in St. Petersburg, but also five kilograms of cocaine. But again, from my point of view, such tests should have been carried out, but they were not.”
Wagner's boss Prigogine died when his private plane crashed over the Tver region of Russia on August 23. The Kremlin previously denied killing him in retaliation for the June 24 riot. Kremlin critics and Western countries have suggested foul play.
Putin's comments were the first significant update on the Russia investigation crash.
Prigozhin led an armed uprising against Moscow's military leadership in June, the biggest threat to Putin's two-decade rule.
After the crash, Putin called him a man who had made «serious mistakes in his life» , but achieved the right results.»
The Kremlin has rejected suggestions that it orchestrated the disaster in retaliation for Wagner's march on Moscow.
Russia has a history of mysterious deaths of Kremlin opponents under Putin.< /p>
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