Putin on Wagner plane crash: Prigozhin made mistakes, but also achieved results

He spoke about this in a video spread by Russian propagandists.

"I knew Prigozhin for a long time, since the early 90s. He was a man of complicated fate, and he made serious mistakes in his life. And he achieved the necessary results - both for himself and, when I asked him to do so, for the common cause, as in these recent months," Putin said.

He also indirectly confirmed that the Wagner fighters were on the plane that crashed.

"Indeed, if there were employees of the Wagner Group there, and the initial data seems to show that there were employees of the Wagner Group, I would like to note that these are people who made a significant contribution to our common cause of fighting the neo-Nazi regime in Ukraine. We remember, we know and we will not forget," the Russian president added.

He emphasized that the investigation into the plane crash would be carried out in full and brought to an end.

Putin also spoke about Prigozhin's activities in Africa, from which he had just returned the day before:

"He was involved in the oil, gas, precious metals and stones business. He just returned from Africa yesterday, as I learned. He met with some officials here."

What we know about the plane crash with Prigozhin

On August 23, an Embraer business jet belonging to Yevgeny Prigozhin crashed in the Tver region of Russia, killing 10 people. The Wagner PMC financier was among the passengers.

Journalist Vitaly Portnikov is convinced that Prigozhin's liquidation is Putin's revenge for the destroyed planes and helicopters of the Russian Armed Forces.

The Center of National Resistance reported that Wagner PMC mercenaries are trying to leave the camps in Belarus and go to Russia amid reports of the death of their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash.

The Institute for the Study of War has claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin probably ordered the assassination of Wagner PMC leader Yevgeny Prigozhin in order to reassert his dominance and avenge his humiliation. 

According to one version of the Russian media, an explosive device was planted in the landing gear of the plane carrying Wagner PMC leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, which detonated at the right time, tearing off the wing and stabiliser.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine was not involved in the downing of Prigozhin's plane and joked that it was "not the kind of help with the aircraft that Ukraine asked for".

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki believes that after Prigozhin's death, Wagner's members will continue to destabilize the countries bordering Belarus.

US officials see missile strike from Russia behind crash of Prigozhin plane.