Kremlin speaks on alleged involvement in Prigozhin’s plane crash

 

MOSCOW – Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov has described media claims that the Kremlin might have been involved in the crash of the plane flying Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the PMC Wagner as absolute lies.

An Embraer business jet flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg crashed on Wednesday evening in the Tver Region with  Yevgeny Prigozhin and nine others on board.

Some media outfits had described Prigozhin’s tragic death as punishment for rebelling against President Vladimir Putin. But the spokesman believes these statements are merely speculative.

“Now, naturally, there are many speculations over this plane crash and the tragic death of the passengers, including Yevgeny Prigozhin. Of course, the West is selling these speculations from a certain angle. All of them are absolute lies. Here, of course, in covering this issue it is necessary to be based solely on facts,” he said in response to a request for a comment on such statements.

As Peskov noted, the available facts were few for now. More are to be established in the course of investigative actions.

“Yesterday, speaking on this subject, the president [Russian President Vladimir Putin] said that he was waiting exactly for the results of the investigation, which will be completed in the foreseeable future, and you and I will learn the details,” Peskov said.

“Preliminary findings show there were 10 people on board. No one survived. The passenger list, as the Federal Agency for Air Transport said, included businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin. Criminal proceedings have been initiated over a violation of safety and air transport operation rules”,he added.

Earlier Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov condemned speculations by Whitehouse officials on the incident.

“I think that Washington officials’ speculations about what is happening in our country are a reflection of blatant disregard for diplomatic methods. After all, in my opinion, the US president is not in a position to speculate on the subject of certain tragic events of this or that nature,” Ryabkov said.