Or maybe President Vladimir Putin now had Mr. Prigozhin in a secret dungeon.
Nothing seemed impossible with Mr. Prigozhin, a racketeer-turned-caterer-turned-warlord-and-Putin crony who sent his mercenary Wagner Group on an audacious march on Moscow in June to settle scores with Russia’s military leaders.
But as is so often the case with atrocities in Mr. Putin’s Russia, the plane crash was probably exactly what it appeared to be: the assassination of a nettlesome rival by the ruthless ruler.
But for now, most observers believe the evidence, motive and means point to Mr. Putin.
In the brutal logic of dictatorial rule, Mr. Putin would have had no choice.
Persons:
Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Putin crony, Wagner, Putin’s, Putin, ”, that’s
Organizations:
Kremlin, Wagner Group
Locations:
Moscow, Putin’s Russia, Ukrainian, Russia