The Kremlin said Wednesday the crash that caused the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of private military force Wagner who died in Russia last week, may have been the result of “deliberate wrongdoing.”
Investigators have still not determined an official cause, but “different versions” of what happened “are being considered,” according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Peskov told reporters during his daily conference call that among the possible causes are, “let’s put it this way, deliberate wrongdoing.”
He said the Russian Investigative Committee has not yet concluded its probe into the wreck. The committee opened a criminal case last week on charges of flight safety violations, a default charge used in plane crash investigations in Russia when foul play is not suspected.
He said the Russian Investigative Committee has not yet concluded its probe into the wreck. The committee opened a criminal case last week on charges of flight safety violations, a default charge used in plane crash investigations in Russia when foul play is not suspected.
The Kremlin spokesperson said there could not be an international investigation, which the Center for Research and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents in Brazil prompted via the United Nations’ civil aviation rules.
Prigozhin and several of his top lieutenants, including his second-in-command and Wagner’s logistics chief, were among the 10 people who boarded a business jet that crashed halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg last Wednesday, Aug. 23. No one survived the crash.