Answer to the question ‘Prigojin was assassinated by order of Putin’ from the Kremlin

The first statement came from the Kremlin after the death of Wagner’s leader, Yevgeny Prigojin, and other leading figures of the mercenary group as a result of the crash of their plane.

Russian President Putin broke his silence after the incident, saying of Prigokhin: “He was a man of complex fate, but talented, and he made serious mistakes in his life.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described claims made in the West that Prigokhin was assassinated on Putin’s orders as “complete lies.” Peskov noted that the investigation into the causes of the plane crash continues, noting that Putin has not met Prigojin recently.

Peskov asserted that Wagner is not a legal entity in Russia and said that the group greatly contributed to Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine.

Asked if the Russian leader would attend Prigokhin’s funeral, the Kremlin spokesman said: “It’s hard to say, but Putin has a very busy schedule.”

ERDOĞAN-PUTIN MEETING

Kremlin spokesman Peskov also announced that there is a “common understanding” that President Putin and President Tayyip Erdogan will meet soon.

Erdogan invited Putin to visit Turkey this month, but the parties had not set a date for the meeting. In a statement to reporters, Peskov did not specify where Erdogan and Putin will meet.