Russian President Vladimir Putin broke his silence on Thursday over the crash of a plane carrying Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and offered his condolences to the families of the ten people on board. Of the former ally turned enemy after the uprising that broke out in Moscow two months ago, he said he was a “talented businessman” who made “serious mistakes in life” but who got “the results he needed”. However, this does not prevent Putin from being seen as the main suspect in his death.
“It is no coincidence that the whole world is now watching the Kremlin as a former Putin aide literally fell from grace, suddenly from heaven, two months after an attempted rebellion.”, said the head of German diplomacy, Annalena Baerbock. French counterpart Catherine Colonna joked that “the death rate among people close to Putin is particularly high.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine “has nothing to do” with death. “I think everyone knows who this is about,” he said.
The Pentagon believes that the crash of the plane connecting Moscow and St Petersburg was caused by an explosion on board, but no missile launch was detected. – on social networks, some accounts linked to the Wagner Group pointed to this theory. US officials speak of the possibility that a bomb or other explosive device may have been placed on board, not ruling out the idea that the fuel could also have been counterfeit. In his speech, Putin promised to “lead to the end” the investigation into the deaths of Prigozhin and other members of the Wagner group, including Dmitry Utkin.
Operation in Crimea
The 32nd anniversary of Ukraine’s independence was the second since the Russian invasion. In a symbolic operation, Ukrainian troops landed overnight on the Crimean peninsula (illegally occupied by Russia since 2014), near the towns of Olenivka and Mayak, exchanging fire with Russian troops stationed there and raising a Ukrainian flag.
According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, all objectives of the “special operation” have been achieved, without specifying what they were. Moreover, there were no casualties on the Ukrainian side. But “the enemy suffered losses”, not only in manpower but also in terms of military equipment. A video was shared on social media of the moment the flag was raised.
As a “gift” for the independence anniversary, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store announced during a surprise visit to Kiev that Norway will donate F-16 fighter jets. Details will be announced later. It is the third country, after Denmark and the Netherlands, to send the fighters. Ukrainian pilots to receive training from US in October
The Russian “gift” was a missile that hit the center of Dnipro, injuring at least ten people, and which shelled Kherson, wounding a seven-year-old girl.
Source: DN
