Followers of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mutinous Russian mercenary, gathered at his grave in St Petersburg to pay their respects following his death in a plane crash. Prigozhin, who was buried at Porokhovskoye cemetery, was hailed as a fearless warrior by those in attendance. Among the tributes was a tribute beside flowers that read, “To be a warrior is to live forever.” Sergei Abeltsev, a former Russian lawmaker, described Prigozhin’s death as a big loss for Russia.
The private jet carrying Prigozhin crashed north of Moscow, killing all 10 people on board, including Prigozhin, top Wagner commanders, bodyguards, and crew members. The cause of the crash is still unknown, but witnesses reported hearing a bang before the plane went down. The crash occurred exactly two months after Prigozhin took control of the city of Rostov in late June, initiating a mutiny that shook the foundations of Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
During his life, Prigozhin boasted about being one of the world’s most feared mercenaries and leading the best fighting force. However, opponents such as the United States depicted him as a brutal commander who exploited African states and executed his enemies ruthlessly. Despite successfully capturing Bakhmut, the bloodiest battle of the Ukraine war, Prigozhin became disillusioned with Putin’s military and warned of the potential loss of the entire war.
After months of criticizing top Russian military officials and expressing his discontent, Prigozhin led his fighters towards Moscow before turning back just 200 km away from the capital. He claimed his intentions were to settle scores with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, as well as question the justification for the Ukraine war. Initially, Putin denounced Prigozhin as a traitor, but later reached a deal with him to defuse the crisis.
The day after the crash, Putin offered his condolences to the families of the victims and acknowledged his long-standing acquaintance with Prigozhin. While admitting that Prigozhin had made serious mistakes in his life, Putin also referred to him as a talented businessman. Prior to the mutiny, Prigozhin sarcastically suggested that his nickname should have been “Putin’s butcher” instead of “Putin’s chef,” a moniker derived from his catering company’s contracts with the Kremlin.
The Kremlin has denied the speculation that Putin ordered Prigozhin’s killing in retaliation, dismissing such claims as an “absolute lie.” U.S. President Joe Biden remarked that he was not surprised by Prigozhin’s death and implied that Putin was behind most events in Russia. Following Prigozhin’s death, Putin instructed Wagner fighters to pledge their loyalty to the Russian state, a move that Prigozhin had opposed due to his grievances with the defense ministry.
At Prigozhin’s grave, a picture of him frowning and an excerpt from Joseph Brodsky’s “Nature Morte” were placed. The excerpt of the poem read, “You are nailed to the cross. How will I go home? Dead or alive – there are no differences.”
(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
