2023-08-27 15:41:30
The Investigation Committee of Russia (CIR) that confirmed today that the body of the former leader of the Wagner mercenary company, Yevgueni Prigozhin, and those of the other nine who died in the accident of his plane, which occurred last year, have been identified. Wednesday.
According to the CIR, the identity of the plane’s occupants was confirmed by comparative DNA analysis.
“In the investigation of the plane crash in the Tver region, genetic-molecular expertise was concluded. Based on their results, the identity of the ten deceased was established, that correspond to those declared in the passenger list“said the CIR in a statement.
In Prigozhin’s Embraer Legacy 600, which crashed for reasons still unknown some 300 kilometers northwest of Moscow while flying from the Russian capital to Saint Petersburg, was also the main commander and co-founder of the mercenary company, Dmitri Utkin.
A former Russian military intelligence (GRU) officer, Utkin fought in Chechnya, Syria and Ukraine, and was awarded the title of Hero of Russia and precisely his code name, “Wagner“, the company of mercenaries was baptized.
Among the ten occupants of the plane was also Valeri Chekalov, responsible for Prigozhin’s personal security and part of his businesses, recently sanctioned by the United States.
At the moment, the investigations have not shed light on the causes of the incident, among which an explosion on board is being considered, a technical failure or even a piloting error.
Some media have pointed out the possibility that the aircraft could have been shot down, intentionally or by mistake, by missiles from the anti-aircraft defense units that protect a residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, located next to the route the plane was following.
The Kremlin has strongly rejected opposition accusations and statements by Western politicians that Putin could be behind the Prigozhin plane crash.
“It’s an absolute lie” emphasized the spokesman for the Russian Presidency, Dmitri Peskov.
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