Russian Analyst Claims Wagner Leader Yevgeny Prigozhin Survives Plane Assassination Plot and Plans Revenge Against Putin After Body Double’s Death

A Russian political analyst has put forth a startling claim, asserting that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner Group, is alive and actively devising a plot for retaliation after the demise of his body double in a recent plane crash.

According to Dr. Valery Solovey, a former professor at Moscow’s Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), renowned for training spies and diplomats, Prigozhin is residing in an undisclosed country, safe and unharmed. Interestingly, Russia is orchestrating a funeral for Prigozhin, yet President Vladimir Putin is opting to abstain from attending.

Dr. Solovey alleges that Prigozhin, often linked to mercenary activities, is currently formulating a scheme for vengeance. This political analyst suggests that the authorities in Russia misled the public by indicating that Prigozhin’s DNA was found at the crash site in the Tver region. He further claims that the attempt to eliminate Prigozhin had failed due to his use of a body double, who happened to board the plane instead.

He refutes the assertion that the plane crashed due to an onboard explosion, asserting, “‘There was no explosion on board. It was downed from the outside.” Dr. Solovey contends that the operation to shoot down the aircraft was authorized by the Russian president through the nation’s Security Council.

As per Dr. Solovey’s account, the warlord Prigozhin is presently “alive, well, and free.” This analyst indicates that Vladimir Putin is well-aware of the situation, even as official Russian statements suggest otherwise.

Dr. Solovey discloses plans to unveil Prigozhin’s alleged place of exile in the upcoming month, dismissing claims of an African refuge where Wagner’s private army maintains interests. Nonetheless, the analyst asserts that Prigozhin intends to reveal himself before the year concludes.

In response to Prigozhin’s impending funeral, Putin’s spokesperson has conveyed that the President’s presence is not anticipated. The decision regarding the funeral is said to be determined by the deceased’s family and friends.

According to Dr. Solovey, the exiled Prigozhin is actively “preparing for revenge.” He speculates on the internal struggle Prigozhin faced, surviving while those close to him perished. The analyst suggests that Prigozhin seeks retribution against those who intended to annihilate him and caused the deaths of his associates.

Among those lost in the crash were Wagner military commander Dmitry Utkin, 53, and flight attendant Kristina Raspopova, 39, who had communicated to her relatives about flight delays and repairs prior to the ill-fated journey.

Dr. Solovey contends that Prigozhin possesses access to £1.6 billion in bitcoin, a significant resource he plans to employ for his vindictive campaign. The analyst concludes by emphasizing Prigozhin’s determination, ambition, energy, and courage in pursuing his objectives.

A veteran aircraft investigator has been put in charge of finding out what happened in the plane crash that reportedly killed Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner lieutenants.

Ivan Sibul, who investigated the SSJ 100 crash in 2019 that killed 41 people, will take charge of the case, according to the VChK-OGPU blog, which is close to Russia’s security services. The news has subsequently been confirmed by RBC.

Mr Sibul is also said to have worked on the Saratov Airlines crash that killed 71 in 2018 and a fatal collision at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport in 2014.

No Mention of Prigozhin in Russian Investigation

Russia’s investigative committee has opened a criminal investigation into the plane crash that reportedly killed Yevgeny Prigozhin but did not mention him by name.

According to Sky News, it said in a statement: “The Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation opened a criminal case on the grounds of a crime under article 263 of the Criminal Code.

“This is a violation of traffic safety rules and the operation of air transport. Jet’s business, en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg, crashed in the Tver Region. According to preliminary data, 10 people on board died.

“An investigation team has left for the scene, all necessary forensic examinations will be appointed, and a set of investigative actions will be carried out to determine the causes of the plane crash.”

Wagner-Linked Channel Plays Down Mutiny Reports

Another Wagner blogger has poured cold water on claims that the mercenary group is planning a second attempt at its abortive coup against Russia’s leadership.

Wagner Z Group posted on Telegram: “[Channels] pretending to be Wagners say here we are preparing a trip to Moscow.

“Everyone carries what he wants, now every gopher is an agronomist.”

Rybar, a prominent Russian military blogger, dismissed reports of a mutiny as Ukrainian propaganda “which is easy to recognise”.

Damascus frequently witnesses Israeli airstrikes that target Iranian military infrastructure and arms depots

Violent explosions from suspected Israeli airstrikes were heard from missile stockpiles of pro-Iran militias east of Syria’s capital Damascus before dawn on Sunday, a war monitor said.

Residents of the Damascus region heard the blasts which came from “the warehouses of pro-Iran militias” in a mountainous area east of the capital, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a wide network of sources inside Syria.

“We don’t know if it was from an air strike or ground operation,” Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

During more than a decade of war in Syria, neighbouring Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters, as well as Syrian army positions.

Syrian regime news agency SANA said during the night that “the sounds of explosions” had been heard on the outskirts of Damascus.

Four Syrian soldiers and two Iran-backed fighters were killed last Monday in pre-dawn Israeli air strikes near Damascus, the Observatory said at the time, in the latest deadly Israeli air raid to hit war-torn Syria’s capital.

The air strikes targeted Syrian regime forces, as well as military positions and weapons depots used by armed groups supported by Tehran, the monitor said.

With Iranian as well as Russian support, the regime of Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad has clawed back much of the territory it had lost to rebels early in the conflict, which broke out in 2011 and has pulled in foreign powers and global jihadists.

Israel rarely comments on strikes it carries out on targets in Syria, but it has repeatedly said it would not allow its arch foe Iran to expand its footprint there.

Syria’s war has killed more than half a million people and displaced millions.