Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the funeral of mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, as it denies speculation the Russian leader ordered the death of his erstwhile ally after he led a mutinous march against Moscow two months ago.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin will not be going to the funeral of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Kremlin ... [+]
Putin has no plans to attend the funeral of Wagner chief Prigozhin, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said in a call with reporters, according to media outlets.
Putin’s presence “is not envisaged,” Peskov said when asked about the funeral.
Peskov noted the Kremlin did not have “any specific information” about the funeral.
Funeral arrangements are being made by Prigozhin’s family and friends and “we can’t say anything without them,” Peskov added.
The comment lends support to speculation Prigozhin will be denied the state funeral with military honors he is reportedly entitled to.
There is scant information about Prigozhin’s funeral and no public announcements have been made as to where he will be buried. The timing of the Kremlin’s statement, alongside reports of several cemeteries being cordoned off by police and security services in Prigozhin’s hometown of St. Petersburg on Tuesday, suggests the funeral could be fast approaching.
Russian officials confirmed Prigozhin was among 10 people who died when a private jet crashed on a flight between St. Petersburg and Moscow last Wednesday. The crash also claimed the lives of other top brass at Wagner, including commander Dmitry Utkin and logistics chief Valery Chekalov. The crash came after weeks of heightened tensions between the mercenary leader and Putin after the warlord led a failed mutiny against the Kremlin two months ago. The lack of any apparent reprisals against Prigozhin from Putin, especially in the face of such a public challenge to his authority, confounded onlookers and raised questions over whether the leader still held a tight grip over Russia. To many onlookers, Prigozhin’s defiance had branded him as a dead man walking and the crash was an act of retribution for the mutiny ordered by Putin. The Kremlin, which has a well documented history of killing off its enemies, strenuously rejects the allegation as an “absolute lie.” Intelligence reports indicate the jet was targeted by Russia’s intelligence agency.
Other senior Wagner figures who died in the same plane crash as Prigozhin are also expected to be buried in St. Petersburg, according to news reports. These funerals could also be imminent and Chekalov’s associates have reportedly gathered at the city’s Severnoye cemetery on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
Who Is Yevgeny Prigozhin: ‘Putin’s Chef’-Turned-Chief Rival Reportedly In Fatal Plane Crash (Forbes)