Current:Home > MyWagner Group leader killed in plane crash buried in private funeral-LoTradeCoin
Wagner Group leader killed in plane crash buried in private funeral
View Date:2024-12-23 22:44:50
Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was buried in a private funeral on Tuesday, his press service said, nearly a week after he and nine others died in a plane crash in Russia.
Prigozhin, 62, was buried at the Prokhorov Cemetery of St. Petersburg in a closed funeral, his press service said on Telegram.
About 20 to 30 people attended the 40-minute "VIP" funeral, according to a cemetery employee. The attendees were all dressed in civilian clothes, with no military uniforms seen, and included relatives and close associates of Prigozhin, the employee said.
Prigozhin, a businessman who rose to become a powerful international paramilitary leader, was a former close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. A Kremlin spokesperson told reporters earlier Tuesday that Putin was not planning to attend Prigozhin's funeral.
Prigozhin's private plane mysteriously crashed on Aug. 23 near the town of Kuzhenkino, north of Moscow. DNA tests showed that the remains recovered from the site matched all 10 people on the passenger list, which included Prigozhin and Wagner Group co-founder Dmitry Utkin, Russian investigators said this week.
The crash may have been caused by an explosion on board the plane, perhaps by a well-placed bomb, U.S. officials told ABC News last week, describing their findings from an initial investigation.
There was no indication a surface-to-air missile was the cause of the crash, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
MORE: DNA confirms Wagner Group leader among crash victims, Russian officials say
The death of Prigozhin came exactly two months after he led a daylong mutiny against Moscow.
Wagner Group forces, which had been fighting in Ukraine, turned from their headquarters in Rostov-on-Don, a key Russian city near the southern border, and marched toward the capital in the evening on June 23. Within a day, they had turned back.
Asked on Tuesday whether the U.S. believes Putin was behind the plane crash that killed Prigozhin, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre laid out the Kremlin's "long history" of "killing its opponents," before telling reporters it's "pretty evident what happened here."
The Kremlin has vehemently denied having any involvement in the plane crash.
"There has been a lot of speculation around this crash [and] the tragic deaths of the plane's passengers, among them Yevgeny Prigozhin. Of course, the West presents all this speculation from a particular angle. All of that is sheer lies," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters last week.
MORE: Bomb likely the cause of explosion that downed Wagner leader Prigozhin's plane, US officials say
Russia's Investigative Committee has launched a probe into the incident.
In a televised address a day after the crash, Putin said Prigozhin was a "man with a complex destiny, and he made serious mistakes in life."
"He achieved the results he needed both for himself and, when I asked him, for the common cause, as in these last months," Putin said.
ABC News' Kevin Shalvey, Edward Szekeres and Justin Gomez contributed to this report.
veryGood! (3471)
Related
- Jennifer Lopez Gets Loud in Her First Onstage Appearance Amid Ben Affleck Divorce
- Camila Cabello’s NSFW Vacation Photos Will Have You Saying My Oh My
- Jersey Shore’s Snooki Gets Candid on Her Weight Struggles in Message to Body Shamers
- Miranda Lambert Says She Raised a Little Hell After Concert Selfie Incident
- FBI raids New York City apartment of Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, reports say
- Your Chilling First Look at Kim Kardashian, Emma Roberts & Cara Delevingne in AHS: Delicate Teaser
- Pregnant Alexa Bliss and Husband Ryan Cabrera Reveal Sex of First Baby
- Gilgo Beach murders: Police searching suspect's walk-in vault
- Utah AD Mark Harlan rips officials following loss to BYU, claims game was 'stolen from us'
- Jamie Foxx Addresses Rumors About His Health in First Video Message Since Hospitalization
Ranking
- Rare Alo Yoga Flash Sale: Don’t Miss 60% Off Deals With Styles as Low as $5
- James Middleton's Comments About His Relationship With Sister Kate Middleton Are Royally Relatable
- Kim Kardashian Shares Regret Over Fast Pete Davidson Romance
- Robin Thicke's Fiancée April Love Geary Fires Back at Haters Who Criticize Her Photos
- Rafael dissolves into a low pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico after hitting Cuba as a hurricane
- Saint West Can't Contain His Excitement During Kim Kardashian's Interview at Lionel Messi's MLS Debut
- Vanderpump Rules Star Ariana Madix's Favorite Revenge Look Will Surprise You
- Austin Peay State Football Player Jeremiah Collins Dead at 18
Recommendation
-
These Yellowstone Gift Guide Picks Will Make You Feel Like You’re on the Dutton Ranch
-
TikToker Emily Mariko Marries Matt Rickard
-
Miranda Lambert Says She Raised a Little Hell After Concert Selfie Incident
-
Human remains found in 3 separate suitcases in Florida, police say
-
The charming Russian scene-stealers of 'Anora' are also real-life best friends
-
Sink Your Teeth Into These Juicy Secrets About The Vampire Diaries
-
Golden Bachelor’s Gerry Turner Shares What His Late Wife Would Think of the Show
-
MTV's Ryan Sheckler Details Unmanageable Addiction At the Height of His Teen Stardom