Joe Biden has strongly implied that Vladimir Putin played a role in the apparent death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died in a plane crash. Ukrainian officials viewed the incident as a warning to Russian elites. Flowers were placed outside the Wagner organization’s St. Petersburg headquarters in tribute to Prigozhin.
Following Prigozhin’s private jet crash between Moscow and St. Petersburg, Biden commented, “While I cannot confirm the specifics, I am not surprised.
Joe biden continued, “Very little occurs in Russia without the involvement of Putin. However, I lack sufficient information to provide a definitive answer.”
The crash involved a Brazilian Embraer business jet carrying Prigozhin and senior Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin, among others, according to Rosaviatsia, the Russian aviation authority. The cause of the crash remains uncertain, but Prigozhin’s history of conflicts with the military and his uprising in June suggest a possible motive for retaliation by the Russian state.
Ukrainian presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak interpreted the crash as Putin signaling Russia’s elites ahead of the 2024 elections, warning against disloyalty. Russian journalist Ksenia Sobchak echoed this sentiment, calling it a clear message to anyone with dissenting thoughts.
The Kremlin has yet to respond to the crash, and Putin did not mention it during his speech in Moscow commemorating the Battle of Kursk’s anniversary. Meanwhile, in St. Petersburg, Wagner’s office building illuminated its windows in the shape of a cross, honoring Prigozhin. The future role of Wagner, active in Ukraine and Africa, remains uncertain.
Abbas Gallyamov Statement
Former Putin speech writer turned critic Abbas Gallyamov stated that the incident solidifies Putin’s authority. Bill Browder, another Kremlin critic, agreed, emphasizing Putin’s unforgiving nature. Ukrainian ministerial adviser Anton Gerashchenko suggested potential revenge by Wagner mercenaries against Putin and Russian military figures, including other paramilitary leaders linked to Putin.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled Belarusian opposition leader, labeled Prigozhin a murderer and pointed out that his death aligned with the removal of a significant Wagner ally, Gen Sergei Surovikin, from the Russian military. Zbigniew Rau, the Polish foreign minister, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas expressed concerns over Putin’s potential purging of adversaries.
While the investigation progresses, the question of whether Putin ordered the plane’s destruction remains unanswered. Pavel Luzin from the Center for European Policy Analysis highlighted mounting contradictions within the Russian elite and raised doubts about Putin’s power, given his failure to apprehend Prigozhin.
Meanwhile, the crash is under scrutiny by Russia‘s Investigative Committee and the civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia. Flight-tracking data revealed an abrupt descent in the aircraft’s final moments. The Embraer Legacy 600 jet has a history of one prior accident, attributed to a variety of factors.
Embraer affirmed adherence to sanctions on Russia and ceased aircraft maintenance in 2019.