Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that fragments of a hand grenade were discovered among the victims of the fatal August plane crash, which claimed ten lives, including Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Putin suggested that the crash might have been caused by internal detonation of hand grenades, stating that there was no “external influence on the aircraft” such as a missile attack, reported The Hill.
The private Embraer jet carrying Prigozhin to St. Petersburg, north of Moscow, on Aug. 23 exploded, resulting in the deaths of all individuals on board.
A preliminary U.S. intelligence evaluation determined that an intentional detonation caused the crash without providing further details.
Videos depicted the plane exploding midair, with debris falling onto a field. However, the cause of the explosion remains unclear.
Western officials have pointed to an analogous list of Putin adversaries who have been assassinated as circumstantial evidence of involvement.
The Kremlin denounced U.S. allegations of Putin’s participation in the crash as an “absolute lie.”
Putin further mentioned that although investigators have not yet conducted tests for alcohol and drugs on the remains, they discovered 5 kilograms (11 pounds) of cocaine during searches at Prigozhin’s office in St. Petersburg after the mutiny. This discovery appears to be an effort to discredit the mercenary chief, the Associated Press said.
Prigozhin led thousands of Wagner troops in a rebellion against Putin in June, which halted only after a negotiated agreement with the Russian president. Under the agreement’s terms, the mercenary company chief agreed to go into exile in Belarus in exchange for dropping terrorism charges.
Subsequently, Putin has taken steps to integrate most of the Wagner Group into Russian forces. He declared on Thursday that thousands of fighters have signed contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense.
This report used information from Reuters and The Associated Press.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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