US intelligence: Prigojin’s plane was shot down by a deliberate explosion

According to the preliminary assessment of the US intelligence services, the private plane in which the founder of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, Yevgeny Prigojin, and nine people were traveling, was shot down as a result of a “deliberate explosion”.

US and Western officials, who did not want to be named, made a statement about the intelligence services’ preliminary assessment of the death of Prigokhin, who on June 24 launched an armed rebellion against the Russian administration with his mercenary fighters. of the private plane crash in the Russian region of Tver.

Stating that the plane was shot down as a result of a “deliberate explosion”, the officials said that Prigojin was “probably” the target of the preliminary assessment and that the incident seemed to fit with the Russian president’s “long history of silencing his critics”. Vladimir Putin. .

While authorities did not provide details about the cause of the explosion, the intelligence assessment noted that Putin expressed condolences to the families of those reported to be on the plane, noting the “serious mistakes” of Prigojin.

THE PENTAGON ANNOUNCED THAT HE WAS ASSASSINATED

Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder said in a press release that the United States believes Prigojin was assassinated: “Our initial assessment, based on several factors, is that he was likely assassinated.” he had claimed.

Noting that “there is no information to confirm the allegations that a surface-to-air missile was fired” at the private plane that crashed, Ryde declined to comment on whether a bomb went off inside the plane.

On August 23, US President Joe Biden, in California, when asked by reporters if “Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind this incident,” said: “There is very little in Russia that Putin is not involved in, But I do not know. Enough to know the answer yet. No.” he had assessed.

“I don’t know what happened in the plane crash in Russia, but I’m not surprised,” Biden said. he shared his opinion.

Putin: HE WAS TALENTED, BUT HAS SERIOUS FAULTS IN HIS LIFE

Russian President Putin, in his statement yesterday, stated that Wagner made important contributions in the fight against the “neo-Nazi regime” in Ukraine: “We know and we remember it, we will not forget it.” he had used the phrase.

Stating that he has known Prigokhin since the early 1990s, Putin said: “Prigokhin was a man whose fate was complex but talented and he made serious mistakes in his life. As in the last few months, he achieved the results that he needed for himself when I asked him to do it for the common cause ”. he has spoken.

Putin claimed that Prigojin achieved “successful results” in various regions of the world and also in Russia: “He was a talented businessman, he worked not only in our country, but also abroad, especially in Africa. He dealt with oil, the gas, precious metals and stones. He came back from Africa yesterday and met some officials here.” He had used the words.

Noting that the necessary investigations into the crashed plane will be carried out, Putin said: “The Investigative Committee has started a preliminary investigation into the plane crash in Tver, and it will be carried out to the end. I have no doubt about it. We’ll see what the researchers have to say in the near future. It will take a bit of time.” He had made a statement.

10 PEOPLE KILLED IN PRIVATE JET

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that 10 people died yesterday as a result of the crash of a private plane in the Tver region of the country.

Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) announced that Wagner founder Yevgeniy Prigojin was among those killed in the crash.

On some Telegram channels known to be close to Wagner, it was claimed that the plane was shot down by the defense systems of the Russian army.

Prigokhin, with his mercenary warriors, launched an armed rebellion against the Russian government on June 24. The uprising ended with the intervention of the Belarusian president, Alexander Lukashenko. (AA)