Explosive device installed under aircraft wing: Putin’s chief associate suspected to be responsible for Prigoschins demise
In August, Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, perished in an airplane crash. According to a report, a close associate of Vladimir Putin is suspected to be responsible for his demise. The Russian president is said to have been aware of it.
Prigozhin’s death quickly led to speculations that the Kremlin had assassinated the Wagner chief. Now, the “Wall Street Journal“ reported that the Russian security official Nikolai Patrushev is allegedly involved in a plot to assassinate Prigoschin. The newspaper cites information from Western intelligence services, former American and Russian security and intelligence officials, and former Kremlin officials.
An Alleged Order for Assassination by Putin’s Confidant
It is alleged that Patrushev ordered a small bomb to be placed under the wing of Prigoschin’s private plane before takeoff. This bomb reportedly exploded approximately 30 minutes after takeoff, causing the wing to detach. All ten occupants died in the incident. President Vladimir Putin is said to have been aware of the plans.
According to the “Wall Street Journal,” Patrushev is the second most powerful man in Russia. In the report, he is referred to as the “right hand” of the president. The Secretary of the Russian Security Council is reportedly one of Putin’s closest confidants, having previously served as the head of the FSB security service. Putin and Patrushev have known each other since the 1970s when they worked together for the Soviet KGB.
According to the report, Patrushev allegedly warned Putin about Prigoschin in the summer of 2022 as his influence grew. The president reportedly ignored the warnings at the time. In October 2022, Prigoschin complained to Putin about the shortage of ammunition in a phone call, citing a former intelligence official quoted by the “Wall Street Journal.” Patrushev then reportedly made multiple attempts to persuade Putin to distance himself from the Wagner chief.
Putin Allegedly Had No Objections to Prigoschin’s Killing
When Prigoschin and the Wagner mercenaries launched a rebellion against Moscow in June 2023, the security official reportedly made several phone calls in an attempt to persuade Prigoschin to abort the march. Prigoschin supposedly ignored five calls from the Kremlin. After the uprising failed quickly, Patrushev allegedly ordered an assistant in early August to “get rid of” Prigoschin, according to a former Russian intelligence officer cited by the “Wall Street Journal.” Putin was reportedly presented with plans shortly thereafter, to which he reportedly did not object.
The Kremlin denies any involvement in Prigoschin’s death. In October, Putin claimed that there was no external interference with the plane, stating that experts found fragments of hand grenades in the passengers’ bodies.
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