Putin denies involvement in plane crash that killed Wagner mercenary leader
The Kremlin has rejected claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the assassination of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group.
Prigozhin was one of 10 people killed in a plane crash in the Tver region of Russia on Wednesday. The plane was flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reports of Putin's involvement in the crash were "an absolute lie." He said the investigation into the crash is ongoing and that little information is currently available.
Peskov also said that Putin would not be attending Prigozhin's funeral, due to his "full work schedule."
The plane crash came just two months after a short-lived uprising by Wagner mercenaries in the Russian Federation.
US President Joe Biden has suggested that Putin may be behind the Tver region plane crash, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said "everyone knows who is involved in this incident."
EU foreign affairs and security policy spokesman Peter Stano said it was "difficult to verify" reports that Prigozhin had been killed.
The plane crash is a major mystery, and it is unclear who was responsible. The Kremlin's rejection of the claims of Putin's involvement does not necessarily mean that he was not involved. The investigation is ongoing, and more information may come to light in the future.
