‘Assassination’ of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin could plunge Russia into civil war, jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny warns

The apparent assassination of Wagner leader Eugene Prigojine could plunge Russia into civil war, imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny warned yesterday.

He accused Vladimir Putin of ordering the assassination of the leader of the mercenary group months after leading an abortive rebellion against the Kremlin.

The Ministry of Defense said there was ‘no definitive evidence yet’ that Prigozhin was on board the private jet which crashed after an explosion on board, but it was ‘very likely’ .

He warned that his death would have “a deeply destabilizing effect” on his mercenary group, which operates in hotspots around the world, including Ukraine, Syria and several African countries.

Wagner’s soldiers threatened to storm the Kremlin and exact revenge for the presumed death of their leader, his second-in-command Dmitry Utkin, and several other key lieutenants.

Moscow denied being behind the plane crash and said claims it was involved were a “complete lie”.

Russian investigators say they have found the flight recorder of the Embraer Legacy jet, which plunged to the ground after a 33-minute flight from Moscow on Wednesday, but have yet to confirm the identities of the ten bodies removed from the plane. ‘wreck.

The US Department of Defense said its preliminary assessment suggested the crash was intentionally caused by an explosion on the plane.

Some Wagner supporters claimed that a bomb had been planted in a case of wine. Mr Navalny – who survived an assassination attempt in 2020 – accused the Russian president of ordering the explosion, which also killed three flight crew members.

In a message to his supporters, he described the accident as “a real act of terrorism” and said it would make Prigozhin a martyr for his supporters. “It is precisely from these ingredients that the dish called ‘civil war’ is prepared,” added the imprisoned opposition leader.

Mr Navalny collapsed on a plane in Russia in 2020 after being poisoned with a nerve agent.

He was subsequently imprisoned for fraud, despite calls for his immediate release, claiming the calls were politically motivated.

Prigozhin’s supporters had urged him to challenge Putin for the presidency, prompting claims that the Russian leader ordered his assassination to eliminate him and destroy his mercenary group.

The Ministry of Defense said there was ‘no definitive evidence yet’ that Prigozhin was on board the private jet which crashed after an explosion on board, but it was ‘very likely’ .

Alexei Navalny called the crash a “true act of terrorism” and said it would make Prigozhin a martyr for his supporters.

Prigozhin’s supporters had urged him to challenge Putin for the presidency, prompting claims that the Russian leader ordered his assassination to eliminate him.

In Russia, the Kremlin announced that all paramilitary fighters would now be required to take an oath to the Russian flag.

Prigozhin’s failed mutiny, when he ordered his troops to march on Moscow in June, was widely considered to have sealed his fate, and his death came two months to the day after the failed uprising.

The future of his Wagner group remains uncertain, but the Ministry of Defense said his presumed death left a “leadership vacuum”.

In an intelligence briefing, he added: “The disappearance of Prigozhin would almost certainly have a profoundly destabilizing effect on the Wagner Group.

“His personal attributes of hyperactivity, exceptional audacity, result-seeking and extreme brutality permeated Wagner and is unlikely to be matched by any successor.”

In Russia, the Kremlin announced that all paramilitary fighters would now be required to take an oath to the Russian flag.

They must pledge “their loyalty to the Russian Federation…strictly follow the orders of their commanders and superiors and conscientiously fulfill their obligations”, according to a new decree signed by Putin.