Old video sparks wild theories on fate of Russia's Prigozhin

(Reuters) – A 40-second clip from an old interview featuring Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary group Wagner, has sparked online speculation about his alleged death. In the clip, Prigozhin expressed his preference for being killed rather than lying to his country and recounted a plane disintegrating in the sky. Russia’s aviation authority confirmed that Prigozhin was aboard a private jet that crashed northwest of Moscow, resulting in no survivors. The crash occurred exactly two months after Prigozhin led a failed mutiny against army chiefs. The Kremlin denied Western allegations that it was involved in his death.

The clip, which was originally published on April 29 and taken from an interview with Russian military blogger Semyon Pegov, captured Prigozhin discussing the state of Russia’s defence establishment. He stated that truth-tellers who refused to conform to upper management’s expectations were being gradually removed, which he believed was pushing the country towards disaster. Prigozhin emphasized the importance of speaking honestly and warned that Russia was on the verge of falling apart if the necessary adjustments were not made.

Shortly after being posted on Wagner’s Telegram channel, the clip garnered hundreds of responses from users. Some commentators speculated that Prigozhin might still be alive, while others expressed excitement at the possibility of his unexpected reappearance. Several posts jokingly suggested that Prigozhin and Sergei Surovikin, the former commander of Russia’s war effort, who was reportedly removed as head of the air force on the day of the crash, were enjoying themselves in Jamaica.

Conspiracy theories attributing the crash to various actors emerged in the online discussions. Some comments implicated the Kremlin, insinuating that President Vladimir Putin orchestrated the incident. Others blamed France or Ukraine for the tragedy. One particular post alleged that Ukraine, acting on the orders of US special services and the Anglo-Saxons, had killed Prigozhin, adding jokingly that it was inconvenient to lose such a hero.

Despite the speculation, the Kremlin firmly refuted any involvement in Prigozhin’s demise. The crash only intensified the ongoing debate about the fate of the Wagner group chief, leaving the truth uncertain. The online discourse reveals the extent of public curiosity and engagement with this topic.

Reporting and writing by Elaine Monaghan