Russian President Vladimir Putin broke his silence for the first time on the death of Wagner group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who died in a plane crash in Moscow on Wednesday night.
Prigozhin was 62 years old at the time of the crash.
In June, Prigozhin orchestrated what was effectively a revolt against Russia's government. He dispatched Wagner troops on a march unimpeded toward Moscow.
Putin's speech on Prigozhin's death and plane crash:
"It is always a tragedy. [...] I'd like to note that these are people who made a significant contribution to our common cause of fighting the neo-Nazi regime in Ukraine. We remember this, we know this, and we will never forget this.
"Prigozhin was a man with a complex fate, and he made serious mistakes in his life. And he achieved the results he needed, both for himself and, when I asked him, for the common cause.
"He was a talented man, a talented businessman, he worked not only in our country, [...] but also abroad - in Africa, in particular. He was involved in oil, gas, precious metals and stones.
"The head of the Investigative Committee reported to me this morning, they've already started a preliminary investigation. And it will be conducted in full, and brought to a conclusion, there is no doubt there. [...] They are now doing investigations, technical and genetic forensic analysis. It will take some time," Putin said in a televised address to his nation.
Who was Yevgeny Prigozhin?
Prigozhin was a petty criminal who, after serving nine years in a Soviet prison, became a hot dog vendor and eventually owned elegant restaurants and a catering service.
He was best known as the rich and connected leader of the Wagner group, a private military force with links to the Russian government.
Wagner troops fought on the Russian side in Ukraine, but Prigozhin went public in the spring of 2023 with criticism of the conflict's cost in terms of Wagner troops and complaints about the way the war was being fought by the Russian government.
