Vladimir Putin says he has despatched his condolences to the household of Yevgeny Prigozhin after the Wagner Group chief was presumed killed in a airplane crash.
The Russian president mentioned Prigozhin was a proficient businessman who he had recognized for the reason that Nineteen Nineties.
This is the primary time Mr Putin has commented on the airplane crash, which occurred north of Moscow yesterday and killed all 10 people on board.
US officials believe crash was 'intentionally caused by explosion' - latest updates
If confirmed, Prigozhin's demise would depart Mr Putin stronger within the brief time period - eradicating a robust determine who had performed an instrumental position within the invasion of Ukraine, and criticised Russia's prime army officers.
The mercenary chief had led a quick insurrection in June - demanding the ousting of defence minister Sergei Shoigu as he marched his fighters in direction of Moscow earlier than calling off their advance.
Prigozhin's right-hand man Dmitry Utkin was additionally believed to be on board, alongside his safety chief Valeriy Chekalov and different lieutenants.
It is unclear why so many high-ranking members of Wagner, who're usually exceedingly cautious about their safety, have been on the identical flight.
In televised feedback, Mr Putin mentioned they'd made "a significant contribution" through the Ukraine battle that won't be forgotten.
The president described Prigozhin as "a person with a complicated background who made serious mistakes in his life" - however famous that he was additionally a profitable entrepreneur.
Read extra:Four things Prigozhin plane footage tells usPutin critics who met untimely deaths
According to Mr Putin, Prigozhin had returned from Africa solely yesterday - and had then gone on to satisfy Russian officers in Moscow.
A preliminary investigation into the crash has now begun, with Mr Putin anticipating that additional particulars will emerge "soon".
Unconfirmed Russian media reviews have claimed that our bodies on the crash web site are burned and disfigured past recognition - which means they might have to be recognized by DNA. Vehicles have been taking away the our bodies.
The president has been extensively accused of getting involvement within the crash - with some Western consultants believing Mr Putin might have ordered Prigozhin's assassination. This can't be verified.
Two US officers, talking on the situation of anonymity, have mentioned they consider a surface-to-air missile originating from inside Russia possible shot the plane down.
Pro-Wagner channels on the Telegram messaging app have additionally claimed that the jet was intentionally downed - with some suggesting {that a} bomb might have been positioned onboard.
A makeshift memorial has been constructed by Prigozhin's supporters at Wagner's headquarters in St Petersburg.
Sergei Mironov, who leads the pro-Kremlin Fair Russia social gathering, posted on social media: "Prigozhin messed with too many people in Russia, Ukraine and the West. It now seems that at some point his number of enemies reached a critical point."
Several of Mr Putin's critics and opponents have been killed or gravely harm in obvious assassination makes an attempt - with German international minister Annalena Baerbock saying it's "no coincidence" that fingers are being pointed on the Kremlin.
"We know this pattern... in Putin's Russia - deaths and dubious suicides, falls from windows that all ultimately remain unexplained," she added.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denied that Ukraine was concerned within the airplane crash, including: "We have nothing to do with this. Everyone understands who does."
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